Plants that can detect bombs developed

Almaty. February 2. Kazakhstan Today - Scientists have developed plants that can detect bombs, the agency reports.

They have taught plant proteins to change colour when in the presence of certain chemicals, Daily Mail reported.

The implications of the study are not hard to see - ringing an airport security gate, for instance, with such plants could prove a lifesaver should a terrorist approach with an explosive and a whole wall of leaves turn white.

It works because the receptor proteins in plant DNA respond naturally to threatening stimuli by releasing chemicals called terpenoids to thicken the leaf cuticle, thereby changing its colour.

This defensive reaction formed the basis for research into detecting explosives carried out by University of Colorado biologist Professor June Medford in conjunction with the Pentagon.

'Plants can't run or hide from threats,' Professor Medford said, 'so they've developed sophisticated systems to detect and respond to their environment.'

The researchers designed a computer program to manipulate a plant's natural defence mechanism by teaching its receptors to respond in the same way to chemicals found in explosives and in air and water pollutants.

These computer-redesigned receptors were modified to function in plants, and targeted to the plant cell wall where they can recognise pollutants or explosives in the air or soil nearby.

The plant detects the substance and activates an internal signal that causes it to lose its green colour, turning its leaves white.

The detection traits could be used in any plant and could detect multiple pollutants at once - changes that can also be detected by satellite.

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