PROTIVIN, CZECH REPUBLIC (REUTERS) - A Czech brewery is getting some high tech help from some little creatures. The Protivin brewery has enlisted crayfish to monitor the purity of the spring water it uses to make its beer.

Placed in tanks that are pumped with the sourced water, the crayfish can react to low levels of pollution. They are fitted with infrared sensors that monitor their heartbeats and track their cardiac activity, while cameras monitor their movements.

"We have five crayfish controlling the water quality here. They are connected to a computer and we are following their pulse activity and movement. When three or more crayfish move or change their pulse activity, we know that the water parameters have changed. We are able to react quickly, because we have the result within three minutes," Master Brewer, Michal Voldrich explained.

Scientists have used crayfish populations as a method of studying water pollution, but now it looks like they have found a place in the private sector, ensuring cleaner water and better beer.