Koniku Kore, African Biotech Company Invents First Ever Device That Detects Cancer And Bombs

Oshiorenoya Agabi, a Nigerian Silicon Valley-based neurotechnology entrepreneur in 2015 rolled out the invention, Koniku Kore. A device his company calls a smell cyborg, that can detect explosives and cancer cells as well as other diseases through smell.

Koniku is a Yoruba word from Nigeria literally meaning "Cannot Die" or Immortal and the device uses an inbuilt chip that merges living genetically modified brain cells and traditional silicon on the basis that silicon alone is insufficient for processing and interpreting data from the human smell.

For each disease, the Koniku kore will aim to detect a defined set of biomarkers that are most closely associated with the disease. Beyond security and healthcare, the device has broad applications in industrial monitoring, energy, food and agriculture sectors and more.

Explosives have particles and smells coming off the individual and with our device you can tell, without requiring line of sight or contact, you can scan them at the time at a place of your own choosing? in the same way that a dog can detect prostate cancer and diseases or explosives at an airport, it?s a sensory system, that is essentially what we recreate in our chip - stated Agabi, the founder who grew up in Lagos, Nigeria.

Koniku Inc since received financing from Nigeria-based private equity firm - Platform Capital Investment Partners, with Kevin McAleenan, former Acting Secretary of Homeland Security and Commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP); Markus Pertl, Chairman & CEO of the Stern Stewart Institute, and Ivan Genadiev - Partner at Andon Okapi Holdings & Former COO at Jumia named on the board of directors.

Koniku also has secured a deal with global aircraft manufacturer Airbus to develop aircraft safety solutions for detecting biological hazards and spotting chemical and explosive threats.

Techcabal, Techgistafrica