#disease-detection

#disease-detection

The pong might have you covering your nose, or reaching for the closest can of deodorant. But if you can bear to sniff it, scientists say the exact aroma can actually divulge a lot about someone. From the unmistakable pong of elevated stress levels, to the stale beer aroma of a tuberculosis infection, your body odour can reveal key clues to your health. And for some 'super-smellers', even complex diseases like early-onset Parkinson's can be detected with a simple sniff.

Billy, a beagle, is trained to detect cancer by sniffing used surgical masks, as cancer alters a person’s unique scent profile through volatile organic compounds.

The completion of the decade-long imaging project means qualifying researchers will have access to 1bn de-identified images alongside medical histories and genetic data.