From: "Antti Kurenniemi" 

Wow, that's a neat idea! I hope it works, because that's certainly a bad problem.


Antti Kurenniemi

"Rich Gauszka"  wrote in message
news:401be362$1{at}w3.nls.net...
> First bees then rats and now cress? 100 million landmines is a staggering
> number. It may be the one area where there isn't an uproar to the use of a
> GM plant
>
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3437019.stm
>
> Danish scientists say they have developed a genetically modified plant
that
> will detect unexploded landmines.
> There are believed to be about 100 million unexploded landmines around the
> world, posing a daily threat to life.
>
> Plants developed by Copenhagen firm Aresa Biodetection are said to turn
from
> green to red when they come in contact with explosives in the soil.
>
> Aresa's aim is to plant its GM plant - an altered thale cress - in
landmined
> areas. Scientists say that within three to six weeks it will change colour
> in areas where roots come in contact with nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
evaporating
> from explosives in the soil.
>
> Bob Gravett, senior technical advisor to the Mines Advisory Group, was
also
> sceptical: "Over the last couple of years we have had bees that can detect
> mines, then rats and now cress."
>
>

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