A real bee sting operation against terror

A real sting operation against terror
By L.A. Lorek
Express-News Business Writer
Web Posted : 09/03/2003 12:00 AM

Swarms of honeybees and moths housed in a big mesh-covered tent in San Antonio might hold the key to finding nuclear weapons.

The Southwest Research Institute has developed a threat awareness course for the Internet. Sherri T. Miller, shown Friday, has headed technical development of the project.
Karen L. Shaw/Express-News

For three years, scientists at the Southwest Research Institute have worked with the insects to sniff out explosives under a Defense Department contract.

They're also experimenting with rats, said Walter Downing, the institute's executive vice president.

But the technology still is in the experimental stage and hasn't been deployed yet in Iraq. Using bees has its drawbacks; it isn't often feasible in desert-like conditions, rainstorms or cold weather, according to researchers.

For now, the military must rely on people to track down weapons.

SWRI has sent four researchers to Baghdad to help find weapons of mass destruction, and it plans to send four more people in a few weeks, Downing said.

"We're getting more people prepared to go over there," Downing said, noting the researchers must undergo numerous inoculations against diseases and other threats before leaving for Iraq.

The SWRI researchers are looking for Iraqi nuclear weapons, related material or facilities. They also are looking for chemical or biological weapons. The work is difficult and dangerous.

Homeland defense is one of the key issues the nonprofit SWRI focuses on, Downing said.

SWRI, founded in 1947 by oilman and rancher Tom Slick Jr., had revenue of $339 million in 2002 and employs 2,800 people. Because of the nature of its contracts, it's difficult for the institute to talk about its work, so it keeps a low profile locally. But it's well known in scientific circles worldwide.

Southwest Research Institute's for-profit subsidiary, Austin-based Signature Science, has six people in Iraq working on detecting Iraqi weapons. The teams work with detection devices to track down explosives in the field, said Adam Hamilton, the company's CEO.

"I can't really comment much beyond that," Hamilton said.

In the insect experiments, the bees, moths and rats ferret out explosives spiked with sugar. Researchers at the University of Montana have been training the insects, and SWRI researchers have been helping conduct the studies.

Using bees to root out explosives is fast, cheap and relatively easy, according to a research paper by Jerry Bromenshenk, professor of entomology at the University of Montana.

Originally, the bee project involved searches for land mines but it was expanded to search for other explosives.

Bees have better sensors than humans and they make looking for land mines a lot easier than searching "inch by inch with a knife," according to Bob Cartledge, a consultant with the Department of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Aside from the bees and moths, SWRI and Signature Science work to train emergency personnel who might respond to chemical, biological and weapons threats at home. They teach local and federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, about weapons production processes, terrorist scenarios and evidence preservation and recovery.

SWRI recently developed a three-hour, Web-based training course that teaches how to deal with different threats, including Anthrax and bombs. Dubbed the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Threats Awareness Course, it costs $39 per student for up to 500 students.

"We're not just in it to make money in this particular case," said Tony Bowie, SWRI's senior interactive training developer. "We really wanted to do something that was urgently needed. Training is the most important thing you can do, but it's the last thing anyone has any money for."

The course is something SWRI thinks provides a very good public service, Downing said.

"In the area of homeland defense we end up dong a lot of work pro bono," he said.

In the near future, that work could include preventing terrorist attacks here and abroad with swarms of trained bees.