Professor Luc Montagnier, who won the Nobel prize for discovering the link between HIV and Aids, has presented new research suggesting a scientific basis for homeopathy. When diluted in water, he has found, the DNA sequences of some bacteria emit low frequency electromagnetic waves, which influence the water molecules around them.

Although the research relates to a new means of detecting viral infections, the method reflects the principles of homeopathy, where a minute amount of a toxic substance is believed to cure the ailment it would create if it was taken in large quantities. In the technique, water is said to retain the memory of the toxin, even when no trace of it remains.

The report states that the findings open the way for the development of a ‘highly sensitive detection system for chronic and bacterial infections in human and animal diseases.’