There are a lot of folks who find Genetically Modified life forms to be abhorrent. Could this change their minds?
A Danish biotech company has developed a genetically modified flower that could help detect land mines and it hopes to have a prototype ready for use within a few years.
[…] The genetically modified weed has been coded to change color when its roots come in contact with nitrogen-dioxide (NO2) evaporating from explosives buried in soil.
Within three to six weeks from being sowed over land mine infested areas the small plant, a Thale Cress, will turn a warning red whenever close to a land mine.
[…] Aresa’s invention, based on research at the Institute of Molecular Biology at Copenhagen University, uses a plant’s normal reaction to turn red or brown when subjected to stressful conditions such as cold or drought, but has genetically coded it to react only to nitrogen-dioxide.
[… Aresa] hopes to use the Thale Cress also for detecting and cleaning soil contaminated by heavy metals such as lead, copper, zinc and chromium, a major source of pollution in many industrialized countries.
The plant has also been genetically modified to be sterile, so it can’t spread beyond where it’s seeded.
Interesting. And clever.
Now that is cool!
But can Ringworld sunflowers be far behind?
By the way, I read this right after the bit about Al Franken, and was a bit baffled by the title for a moment.
Huh. Hadn’t thought about the two names next to each otehr, just the “Franken[stein]” nomenclature used by some GM opponents.