Biologist Designs Plants To 'Sniff Out' Explosives and Chemical Pollutants

Biologist Designs Plants To 'Sniff Out' Explosives and Chemical Pollutants

tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com

Imagine a future in which each row of annuals and perennials in the flowerbed outside your house was a line of defense against dangerous chemicals and explosives. Biologist June Medford and her team at Colorado State University made a big step towards turning plants into chemical security guards when they recently inserted a computer-redesigned receptor protein into a living plant -- giving it the ability to detect explosives.

Medford described her research to TPM: "Okay. I'm a plant. There is a chemical on the outside, and I'm going to recognize this and do something about it on the ins

(visit the link for the full news article)

Related ATS Discussion Thread:

Grow Your Own Security- Bomb Detecting Plants

This is an interesting project, if this venture is successful, wouldn't it be so much better for travelers to pass between a couple of rows of these plants than to have to be bombarded by the rays of the back scatter machine? Who knows if the research will bear fruit, and as long as the plants don't cry out "FEED ME!", anything that makes the process of security safer is a good thing.

There's a short video included at the source link.

tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by JacKatMtn


There is another thread, but I searched, and I can't find it either.

Anyhow, I think this is a pretty good idea, although I don't believe there is any threat from explosives walking into airports through regular passenger terminals. Wouldn't it be pretty awesome if someone did walk in though, and the plants leaves all started changing colors as they passed? There would be no way to hide or escape that!

reply to post by getreadyalready


I didn't see one either, but if you stumble upon it, please post the link here so I can either add the link to the OP or close and redirect to that one if it's in BAN.

This is a great idea. But they have dogs that can do this now and they're not using them. I don't know why they prefer to stand people in front of scanners and/or pat them down... Seems a lot less embarrassing and intrusive to have everyone walk by a few dogs trained to identify several dangerous chemicals... Even if this bio-technology comes to something, I somehow doubt that the government would use them. I actually think the pat downs are sort of like conditioning for further and further invasion into our privacy.

Even a frog would jump out of this boiling water...

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
This is a great idea. But they have dogs that can do this now and they're not using them. I don't know why they prefer to stand people in front of scanners and/or pat them down... Seems a lot less embarrassing and intrusive to have everyone walk by a few dogs trained to identify several dangerous chemicals...

I saw an interview with the scientist doing this and she claimed her plants would be 10 - 100 times more sensitive than the best sniffer dogs.

Originally posted by getreadyalready
reply to post by JacKatMtn

 

There is another thread, but I searched, and I can't find it either.

Anyhow, I think this is a pretty good idea, although I don't believe there is any threat from explosives walking into airports through regular passenger terminals. Wouldn't it be pretty awesome if someone did walk in though, and the plants leaves all started changing colors as they passed? There would be no way to hide or escape that!

Thread Here

reply to post by big_BHOY


Thank you, I added the link to the OP

reply to post by SevenBeans


From the link in the other thread:

www.wired.com...

Medford says her goal is to get her plants as sensitive as a dog’s nose.

$19 Billion Later, Pentagon's Best Bomb-Detector Is a Dog

Do you think I'm making it up, I watched her say it during an interview...

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic


I wonder if the reluctance to use the dogs is due to the fear some people have of animals? Then you also have some folks who may be allergic to them as well?

They should definitely be used in monitoring baggage or cargo, but maybe not the best idea for checking passengers?

reply to post by SevenBeans


No. I don't think you're making anything up. By sharing information I found, I didn't mean it to be a personal attack on you. There seems to be a discrepancy. No need to ruffle.

reply to post by JacKatMtn


That's something I hadn't thought of. I forget people are afraid of dogs.

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic



Maybe they could camo the dogs to appear like harmless vegetation?

reply to post by JacKatMtn


Wow! You are full of great ideas!

THIS IS DISGUSTING!!!!! I ADVISE ALL OF YOU TO YOUTUBE THE INDUSTRY!!! They are trying to get it in our heads to mix biology with machines. MIX HUMANS WITH MACHINES!!! Bio tech. Please watch the industry, it shows how hard they are pushing this threw music games movies tv ect.