GE Plant or detecting landmines

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Author	Topic: GE Plant or detecting landmines
GLP Member	posted 01-29-2004 09:49 AM This item should cause some head scratching amongst the policy committees of certain groups. quote: Danish researchers say they have produced a plant that can help detect hidden landmines by changing its colour from green to red when its roots come in contact with explosives. Grant EDIT - NOTE FOR MODERATOR - COULD YOU MAKE THE TITLE MEANINGFUL BY ADDING AN "F" AT THE BEGINNING OF THE "or" please. - Then delete this message edit! Thanks/. Must get new keyboard and some eyes that work. [This message has been edited by GLP (edited 01-29-2004).] IP: Logged
blackjack13 Member	posted 01-29-2004 10:11 AM Understood the title fine Grant without the edit. The article says though that the plant needs human intervention to propagate, doesn't this make the original planter at risk? I'm not sure whether any tilling is needed from what is said or even whether the plant grows from seed. Sounds like one heck of a beneficial plant in typical European style agriculture but what of Asian and African rice paddies? I hope there is some prospect of a similar development. IP: Logged
toxdoc Member	posted 01-29-2004 02:46 PM DARPA has quite a few grants in the US for similar organisms. Some efforts are looking at fenceline sentinel plants that change color. Others are as simple as natural/transgenic bacteria that have esterase activities. With colormetric/luminescent/fluorescent substrates they can be used to detect nerve agents (I think one of those is for sale already). As to Arabidopsis thaliana it's one of those pioneer species that like pretty much crappy places to grow; walls and banks, hedgerows and waste places, and on dry soils are fine for it and it grows from broadcast seed. IP: Logged
setnahkt Member	posted 01-29-2004 04:07 PM Remember the girl in Wisconsin who got monkeypox from her pet Gambian Pouched Rat? Apparently there's a use for them after all. I love the title. IP: Logged
buda Member	posted 01-29-2004 07:09 PM My understanding is that the threat of land mines is mainly from the antipersonnel type, triggered with a light force and designed to blow off a leg and not kill you, so that your comrade has to take care of you. My recommendation: if you suspect there could be a mine do not attempt to sow the area with exotic danish plants, even if you're not in a hurry - try using a steamroller. If the idea is to spray the entire countryside (from a plane/helicopter?) for mine detection then go ahead - as long as you've got UN/NGO/Lady DI funding. IP: Logged

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For your daily dose of debunking, from Steve Milloy, visit the Junk Science Home Page.	What is Junk Science?
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