Yes it’s true. Bomb sniffing dogs could find themselves on the unemployment line, when in comes to their role in sniffing out bomb related material at airports and other locations where mass transit travelers are screened. According to a Professor at the Colorado State University, the Pentagon has funded the program for the last seven years, for a mere 1 million a year, to genetically enhance a plants already sensitive nose if you will to detect explosive material and turn the color white when detection takes place.

According to June Medford, a Colorado State University Professor, she and her team of researchers decided to attempt to modify plants which are already very sensitive to their surroundings to detect specific materials and react to the detection by changing color. Instead of people walking thru scanners, travelers will walk thru a foliage area. If explosives are detected, the plants will turn white and alert screeners that explosives have been detected and further screening can take place at that time.

Genetic alterations and minor ones at that have made this new technology not only viable but reality. Soon folks will be tip toeing thru the tulips before traveling and placement of this new technology will be soon. The concept is simple. To reprogram plants to detect what we want them to detect and act in a spontaneous manner after detection. The plants are currently a bit slow on the color change, but researchers are confident that the process can be excellerated.

The impression that I was given is that the green detectors could replace costly scanners, but I find that hard to believe as the plants could not detect weapons that do not use explosives to help terrorists in overcoming planes or other travel modes to wreak havoc on travelers. I see this method of detection only as a replacement for explosive sniffing dogs as the plants are up to 100 times more efficient than canines and can not be distracted as dogs can be.

The research money spent to achieve this ground breaking technology was a drop in the bucket for the end result and the plants can be used in baggage screening as well as passenger screening. I am sure that this process is just the beginning for a plants role in sniffing out different types of contraband and will most surely move forward to drug enforcement screening as well.

Plants and man have a lot in common right down to the hormones produced by both. Although the common perception that dog is mans best friend is well founded, I truly believe that plants play a much more significant role in the well being of mankind as a whole and further research can only open up all types of possibilities for a plants role in mankind’s survival and path forward into the future.

For more info go to: http://www.today.colostate.edu/story.aspx?id=5170

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