Genetically Modified Plants Could Become Sentinels for the Military

As concerns grow over the threat of bioterrorism and weapons of mass destruction, Penn State University genetic researchers are working on an early warning system -- the figurative canary in the mineshaft -- that could be as unobtrusive and ubiquitous as plants in a landscape. This "canary" is a specially engineered plant or group of plants designed to detect and signal the presence of many harmful chemical or biological agents.

In theory, soldiers could be equipped with a hand-held electronic device. When pointed at a native plant, the readings on the device would indicate the plant was exposed to nerve gas some time in the last several hours or several days. At present such a device does not exist.

To develop such technology, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded Penn State University a 3 year, $3.5 million grant to lay groundwork for genetically engineered plants that can detect the presence of harmful nerve agents. Plants are a suitable candidate because they are rooted to their environment, and cannot move out of a given area like an insect or other animal. They can therefore become a short-term history book of their environment over the last several days. Just as a plant will wilt without water, or become lighter green with less nitrogen, a plant that is genetically altered to become sensitive to a nerve agent or other chemical compounds poisonous to humans would retain certain effects of its exposure.

Plants and animals detect and respond to a range of things -- including microbes, insects, chemicals and hormones -- via cellular proteins. These proteins, called receptor-like kinases (RLKs), have a sensing domain outside the cell membrane that binds molecules in the environment. This binding sends a signal inside the cell to the response domain, known as the kinase, which then turns on genes that trigger a response. One of the plants being studied at Penn State is Arabidopsis, a small flowering plant from the mustard family that grows around the world and is widely used as a model organism in plant biology.

Even detection of something such as explosives in the soil is under research. A military commander, with the proper electronic device, could receive a readout from a plant in his locale that could indicate the presence of explosives nearby. Of course, such genetically modified plants would have to be planted into the environment ahead of time, which may pose its own set of problems.

Jack Schultz, a chemical ecologist and professor of entomology in the College of Agricultural Sciences, indicates in the Penn State extension website that their experiments may eventually aid the agricultural community as well. One example given was that a sensor could be mounted on the front of a farm tractor traveling across a field when operating a pesticide sprayer. The sensor could detect the presence of a certain weed or insect pest and turn the sprayer on or off or add different chemical components for a given section of the field, and thus reduce the total volume of pesticides used.

Tom Clouser is a 38 year old farmer in Pennsylvania. In addition to farming, he and his father publish a monthly 16-page newspaper called "Trees 'n' Turf", which targets subjects of interest to those in land use industries and activities. View their website at http://www.clouserfarm.net

---

Whose Afraid of the Government; Whose the Government Afraid of?

We need a government that can be as responsive to... Read More

The Glorious Acts of Our Legislature

I always have to remember to take a deep breath... Read More

High Speed Trains and The Future of Transportation

Where are all the high-speed trains we were promised? Where... Read More

The Pilgrims and Beacon Hill Mob

In 1966, Dr. Carroll Quigley, a professor of history at... Read More

No Child Left Behind needs to go Virtual

The No Child Left Behind can work if the Federal... Read More

What Is The Filibuster All About?

The filibuster has been a tool available to U.S. Senators... Read More

The Project For A New American Century

Let the reader be reminded, that this document we are... Read More

FTC Fixing SPAM?

Is the Federal Trade Commission really stopping SPAM? Is the... Read More

Think You Dont Need A License for A Wireless Microphone? Think Again

Believe it or not, every theatre, church, or Britney Spears... Read More

Public Utilities, Monopolies and Problematic Structures

Public utilities and a problematic issue on the allowance of... Read More

Is America Bankrupt?

The US Dollar has been falling continuously in last year.... Read More

California Mutual Assistance Program

In years past California Mutual Assistance Program and emergency response... Read More

Count Rumford

Why did FDR say Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Count... Read More

The United States Government Owes Arthur Anderson 16 Billion Dollars

Since the court case was over turned against Arthur Anderson... Read More

The Senate Filibuster: The Hulk Plan and the Nuclear Option

The partisan feuding in the U.S. Senate over federal judicial... Read More

Fraud From FTC Insiders, Who Can You Trust?

The FTC franchising division purports their law enforcement experience in... Read More

US Army in Catch 22 on Gays Issue

Many of those who wish to fight for our country... Read More

Lets Make Some Things Clear about John Thune/Dan Nelson/MetaBank MetaGate

Let's make one thing clear: This Dan Nelson Automotive fiasco... Read More

Wars, Oil and Trade Conflicts of the Human Race

Many in the World Media are quick to judge the... Read More

The Looting of American Taxpayers Social Security Disability by Fraudulent Employers Pt. 1

For more than a decade, you the American taxpayer have... Read More

Protecting Our Buses from International Terrorists

We know that the International Terrorists like the idea of... Read More

A Trade War is brewing; Are We Paying Attention

Incompetence is all too obvious at the trade shows of... Read More

Steel Tubing Tariffs Prove that NAFTA Still Needs Work

The North American Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was implemented on January... Read More

The Worlds Eldest Democracy Was A Truly Romantic Affair

Visible remnants of the world's eldest democracy can be seen... Read More

Fundamentalist: Fascist or Common-Sense?

Is the only way to fight Fundamentalist Extremists becoming one... Read More

Intellectual Property: The ECJ Extends the Use of Trade Marks to Goods and Services

The European Court of Justice ("ECJ") ruled in Praktiker Bau-... Read More

The Delicate Art of Balancing The Budget

Government budgets represent between 25% and 50% of he Gross... Read More

Environmentalism and Roads in Our Forests

Many environmentalists are against roads through the forest because it... Read More

Accessibility Requirements for Fair Housing

PolicyFederal Fair Housing accessibility requirements for new multifamily buildings should... Read More

DC Lawyers; Have I Got a Case for You?

This is no time for the Black community to sue... Read More

NASA Budget Space Shuttle Thoughts

Regarding the issues with the Space Shuttle and the in... Read More

The Typology of Financial Scandals

Tulipmania - this is the name coined for the first... Read More

Spies in Seminaries - Stalin the CEO

The use of religion is well-documented as a social engineering... Read More