The experiment had already been conclusive with dogs, able to identify the presence of cancer cells just by smell. But Baptiste Piqueret, experimental and comparative ethology laboratory at the Sorbonne University in Paris, bets on a completely different animal also endowed with an unparalleled sense of smell, the ant. He raises thousands of them in his laboratory and is interested in one species in particular. “It is a species called formica fusca. It is a species that is present throughout the northern hemisphere. This genus of ants has been described as having the most important cognitive abilities among ants”, learns the scientist. In front of our cameras, the researcher will teach the ants the smell of cancer patient cells. It will bait the ant with what it adores, sugar. And once released in the arena, “and following a while, she will come across the reward by chance. And underneath, we have the smell we want her to learn. And she will very quickly associate this smell to the reward,” he explains. By renewing the experience two to three times, it is no longer a coincidence. The ant recognizes the smell directly, even without the presence of sugars. But we must continue the research. And in a few years, the ant might well become a means of early detection before having an MRI or a mammogram. The other advantage of the ant is that it learns very quickly. It takes him less than an hour to recognize a smell, compared to several months for dogs. TF1 | Report C.Bayle, J. Clouzeau, E. Duboscq
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The Voice 2022 – Léna Maire chante “Never can say goodbye” des Jackson 5 – The Voice
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
Léna Maire is a young high school student and student at the conservatory. If she has been playing the piano for 10 years, she has been singing since recently. This passion for music was transmitted to him by his father… But not in the same style as his! A fan of metal and hard rock, Léna is more into jazz, funk and soul. On the set of The Voice, she wants to modernize this musical genre and make it loved by as many people as possible… Tonight she is performing a title from the Jackson 5 “Never can say goodbye”? Excerpt from The Voice of March 4, 2022
What do we know about the Omicron variant? – The Weekend Journal
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
Omicron, first identified in South Africa late November, became dominant in France by December’s close. What are its hallmarks, specifically its symptoms? Contrary to earlier variants, loss of taste and smell are far less prevalent. Instead, anticipate symptoms resembling a common cold—runny nose, scratchy throat—a consequence of growing population immunity, largely due to vaccination efforts. Omicron primarily targets the bronchi rather than the lungs, potentially explaining its high transmission rate. This is the initial understanding of its characteristics; its transmissibility is at least double that of Delta, yet preliminary evidence suggests a reduced severity of illness. Consequently, should isolation protocols be reassessed? Currently, positive individuals face a 10-day self-isolation mandate. For Omicron cases, contacts must also isolate for seven to seventeen days depending on shared living arrangements. Given the weekly millions impacted, authorities worry about societal disruption; thus, isolation periods may be shortened. This carries significant risk, cautions Dr. Anne Sénéquier, co-head of the IRIS Global Health Observatory, in a recent TF1 interview. England, Spain, and Portugal have already shortened isolation durations; the United States has lowered it from ten to five days. Unofficial reports indicate France’s health minister will announce revised guidelines on Sunday.
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