We are all accustomed to the sight of sniffer dogs working at airports looking for explosives, drugs and contraband foodstuffs, or on the job in disaster zones and in the bush looking for people who need help. The canine olfactory capacity is legendary, yet a little known fact is that mice are actually more accurate when it comes to detecting scent. While dogs have 756 olfactory receptor genes, mice have 1120, giving them a more acute sense of smell.
This was not known until recently when a group of Israeli scientists began testing mice. They found that mice had incredibly sensitive and discerning olfactory capabilities. This has led to the adoption of mice at airports, where they use them to sniff for explosives.
An Israeli company has begun selling an arch much like the ones we are all used to walking through, though instead of containing electronics and chemical detection agents, it has three cartridges with eight mice each. When the mice sniff explosives, they move from the central chamber through to another chamber. If a mouse from each cartridge moves through to the second chamber, the alarm is tripped and a closer inspection of the individual is required.
Not only are the mice more accurate, they are also easier to look after, requiring less handler care than dogs.
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