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

tidy up service Glenview ..
In The News:

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.
The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.
Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.
New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.
FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.
New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.
OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.
Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.
New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.
DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.
Concerned about Google's AI scanning your Gmail? Learn how to disable Gemini features that access your emails, Drive files and Chat messages for privacy.
Google warns Android users about dangerous fake VPN apps hiding malware that steals passwords, banking details and personal data from phones and tablets.
Apple's digital passport feature lets iPhone users breeze through TSA checkpoints this holiday season using Digital ID technology at 250+ airports.
A new phishing scam targets family photos with fake "Cloud Storage Full" alerts. Criminals steal credit card information through fake sites. Learn protection tips.
South Korean scientists create ultra-thin fabric muscles that turn clothes into robotic assistants, lifting 33 pounds while weighing under half an ounce.
Archer Aviation has acquired Hawthorne Airport for $126M to launch an LA air taxi network ahead of the 2028 Olympics, featuring AI-powered eVTOL operations and next-gen aviation tech.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Fake AI apps disguised as "ChatGPT" and "DALLĀ·E" are flooding app stores with dangerous malware that steals data and monitors users without detection.
Fake buyers demand specific vehicle reports from unknown sites to steal credit card information from car sellers, but warning signs can help identify these scams before paying.
Android users can now manage apps across multiple devices more easily with Google Play Store's updated remote uninstall button in the latest update.
NASA's Perseverance rover discovers shiny metallic rock on Mars that could be a meteorite from an ancient asteroid, containing high levels of iron and nickel.
Holiday scams spike during Black Friday and Cyber Monday as criminals exploit your leaked personal data. Learn how to protect yourself from fake stores and phishing.
Commerce Department proposes TP-Link router ban over Chinese security risks. Learn how this potential prohibition could affect your home network and devices.
Hyundai AutoEver America suffered a data breach affecting 2,000 current and former employees, exposing names, Social Security numbers and driver's license information.
Washington court rules automated license plate reader images are public records, even when stored by vendors like Flock Safety, setting precedent for transparency.

Public Utilities, Monopolies and Problematic Structures

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

Sarbanes-Oxley Reality Check on Bureaucracy

There is no doubt in hindsight that Sarbanes Oxley was... Read More

Maryland State Legislator wants to kill jobs and small business

Last year a Maryland State Legislator whom I presume never... Read More

The Wage-Productivity Gap

The most damaging factor to our economy today is the... Read More

De-Population

Judgment and detective work requires thinking about possibilities. One of... Read More

The Will To Fight for Islam

The more I study the dynamics of WWII the more... Read More

Iranian Elections - Roadmap To Continued Apathy

The recent first round of the Iranian elections somewhat resembled... Read More

Stopping a Nuclear Bomb on a Hydrofoil

The US Homeland Security is worried about Hydrofoil or Skimmer... Read More

A Cheap Holiday in Other Peoples Misery (catching up with Mordechai Vanunu in Israel)

One of my favourite pieces of music is the Sex... Read More

Fear, Controversy and Chaos in the Media

Most modern day media stories containing fear, controversy and chaos... Read More

The Elephant Roared and Brought Forth a Turd: A Case Against Democratizing the Middle East

The original vulgarity was bylined: ?The Constipation of America's Mid-East... Read More

High Speed Trains and The Future of Transportation

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

What could Macedonia Learn from a Tiger? Asian Tigers and Uninterrupted Economic Growth

The first reaction of economies in transition is a sharp... Read More

Should Farmers Plant GM Terminator Seeds?

If a farmer plants the same crop three seasons in... Read More

Protection of the Intellectual Property in Russia

A Governmental commission, headed personally by the Prime Minister has... Read More

Paid Assassins

The civil war in Iraq seems to be much more... Read More

Slovenia - The Star Pupil

The most exciting event in Slovenia last week was when... Read More

Responding to Article: Logic Class 101 Applied to the Minuteman Project

In response to Douglas Bower's article; Logic Class 101 Applied... Read More

The Blessings of the Black Economy

Some call it the "unofficial" or "informal" economy, others call... Read More

OPECs Swan Song?

Indonesia's Energy Minister, Purnomo Yusgiantoro, is unhappy with the modest... Read More

French NON to Europe Might be Engrained in Their History

Many of the problems that the members of the European... Read More

Bringing Back Mining Jobs to the United States

With new environmental technologies and modern efficiency methods in mining... Read More

The Public Is Enemy Number One

There is something egregiously wrong about a government that will... Read More

RFID: Californias Identity Information Protection Act

Utah introduced a bill designed to limit the use of... Read More

The New Goo Review is Coming Right At You

Non-lethal Goo Concepts have been tossed around by many war... Read More

full-service cleaning Mundelein ..