Bio-Detection K9

01 / WHAT IT BUILT

What the company did

Bio-Detection K9 (BDK9) is a Columbus, Ohio-based canine and technology services company that trains dogs to detect viruses and pathogens in human and agricultural settings. Since 2011 it has trained canines to detect plant diseases - citrus canker, huanglongbing, plum pox virus, four tomato viruses, and vineyard Leafroll and Red Blotch viruses - using proprietary scent-training aids, faster and cheaper than PCR lab testing. Led by president Jerry Johnson (an Air Force veteran) and chief scientist William Schneider Ph.D., it partnered with Purdue University on training canines to detect diseases in hemp and cannabis crops. It became famous during the pandemic for COVID-sniffing dogs: at about $2 per person, they screened backstage crews at Metallica, Tool, The Black Keys and Eric Church concerts, plus airports and stadiums. No public source documents a shutdown or failure of the company.

03 / EVENT HISTORY

Events in the structured record

1. 2011
   Founded

   Bio-Detection K9 began training canines to detect agricultural plant diseases, starting with tree pathogens.

2. 2021
   COVID-sniffing dogs

   BDK9's COVID-detection dogs screened backstage crews for Metallica, Tool, The Black Keys and Eric Church tours, plus airports and stadiums; it partnered with Purdue University on hemp and cannabis disease detection.