Edinburgh University engineers have a plan to use genetically engineered bacteria that glow in the presence of explosives to detect landmines. The project is student-led, overseen by Alistair Elfick.
The bugs can be mixed into a colourless solution, which forms green patches when sprayed onto ground where mines are buried.Edinburgh University said the microbes could be dropped by air onto danger areas.
Within a few hours, they would indicate where the explosives can be found.
The scientists produced the bacteria using a new technique called BioBricking, which manipulates packages of DNA.
Glowing bugs could find landmines
(via Futurismic)
(Image: Landmine in ground, Cambodia, a Creative Commons Attribution photo from Kyle Simourd’s Flickr stream)