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  • NEWS
  • Appeal for public help in double murder probe

    A double murder investigation involving more than 50 gardaí got under way in Killorglin, Co Kerry, after autopsies confirmed a Lithuanian woman and her young daughter had died violently.

  • Ronan kicks off portraits initiative

    He's kicked a record number of penalty kicks, drop kicks and conversions over the bar. But Irish rugby legend Ronan O'Gara, 36, hit the side of a bar yesterday as a very special photographic exhibition was unveiled across Cork City.

  • WORLD
  • Brand divorced me by text, says Perry

    Pop star Katy Perry has revealed that Russell Brand told her he was divorcing her in a text message.

  • Ex-hitman: Bulger’s FBI dealings ‘broke my heart’

    A former criminal associate of James "Whitey" Bulger told jurors at the accused mob boss's trial that he agreed to testify against his old friend after learning that his former gang pals had begun co-operating with law enforcement.

  • BUSINESS
  • Aircraft leasing firm buys 10 Boeing jets

    Shannon-based aircraft leasing firm GE Capital Aviation Services have bought 10 new Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners for an estimated $3bn (€2.24bn) at list price.

  • 20% of rich see value of assets halved

    Nearly 20% of Ireland's wealthy people have seen the value of their assets halved as a result of their over-reliance on property.

  • SPORT
  • GPA may get involved over Friday night championship dictat

    The GPA could yet act on the behalf of the Carlow and Laois football panels as they have confirmed neither they nor the players were consulted about Friday week's All-Ireland round one qualifier.

  • Kearney keeps eyes on main prize

    Rob Kearney might not have felt like putting his best foot forward today as the Lions continued to prepare for Saturday's all-important first Test against Australia but he is experienced enough to know that after this midweek defeat by the Brumbies, it is essential for the main mission of the tour.

  • LIFESTYLE
  • Bradley bares his soul

    Soul singer Charles Bradley found fame late in life, but is haunted by his past, writes Ed Power

  • Body of evidence: do we fear nudity or nakedness?

    Do it together and it's harmless, do it alone and it's criminal, says Suzanne Harrington






Cork institute’s nano-device capable of sniffing out cancer

IRISH scientists have developed a smelling device which could lead to the early detection of cancer.

Just like some dogs have been able to detect cancer simply by smelling urine samples, the electronic nose under development at Tyndall National Institute in Cork offers the potential to identify aggressive cancers, such as those of the prostate and bladder, at an early stage.

While work on similar technology has been done internationally, this is the first project working with nanomaterials, objects on a scale of a millionth of a millimetre in diameter.

The project, which has passed the design stage, is being developed in partnership with centres in Spain, France, Italy and Britain.

“It is a three-year project but I estimate that within five years, some kind of portable device would be available. We have attached nano-sized receptors that can recognise smells to a nanotransducer, and the main work will be modifying the receptors and the electronic signals to get to a standard that can be used for clinical diagnosis,” said project coordinator at Tyndall Dr Vladimir Ogurtsov.

“The same technology could also have applications in food safety, or in security and environment by using smell sensors.

“The great thing is that, while it is being led by world-recognised researchers, the project also involves postgraduate students, which boosts the abilities of the next generation of Irish scientists,” he said.

The development emerged as Ireland was yesterday ranked as the world’s eighth-best country for quality of research in materials science, including nanoscience. This places us above more than 150 other countries and well ahead of France, Canada, Australia and Japan. Trinity College Dublin’s nanoscience institute CRANN said the ranking by Thomson Reuters is testament to the investment in the area over the past decade.

A recent report by the Government’s technology advisory group Forfás said non-public funding for nanoscience research could be raised, but focus must be put on commercialisation to improve our share of a global market that could increase tenfold to €2 trillion by 2015.

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