Scientists Hack Spinach Plants To Send Email Warnings
Engineers at MIT used nanotechnology to create spinach plants that send emails when they detect explosives
By Rob Waugh for Yahoo News Image: OpenClipart-Vectors at Pixabay
The plants have been designed so the nanotubes emit a signal when they detect nitroaromatics in water – a compound often found in explosives.
The technology is not unique: it’s part of an emerging field where electronic components work within or with plants, known as ‘plant nanobionics’.
“This is a novel demonstration of how we have overcome the plant/human communication barrier,” said Professor Michael Strano, who led the research.
Researchers report title: Nitroaromatic Detection and Infrared Communication from Wild-Type Plants Using Plant Nanobionics
Whew!
