Smoke detectors, heat, moisture, pH of the water or metal have evolved a lot in these times, but today, there are very few detectors of explosives or chemical attack.
Unfortunately, the electronic nose, meaning that, a device capable of detecting in the environment in small amount of product molecules as explosives, Anthrax, etc, it does not exist. Even in the XXI century, we depend on dogs for detection of these substances.
Scientists, such as Dr. Julio Rozas of the University of Barcelona, are studying spiders to understand
how these arachnids detect a few molecules in the air, which lead them to predict the existence of food or predator attack. All this research we will be able to develop electronic detection systems. This is the new landscape of chemical and biological terrorism that will be of considerable interest to the countries of our environment.
Julio Rozas says:
“In Drosophila, we are studying genes encoding proteins involved in olfactory response to chemical stimuli, whereas in Arabidopsis are studying genes encoding enzymes of the route of phenylpropanoids.”