Glowing bacteria detect buried landmines
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Glowing bacteria detect buried landmines 11 April 2017 Remote detection of buried landmines is a possible application of system to remotely detect buried landmines using a bacterial sensor and a laser-based scanning system. Credit: Hebrew University The need for safe and efficient technologies for detecting buried landmines and unexploded ordnance is a humanitarian issue of immense global proportions. About half a million people around the world are suffering from mine-inflicted injuries, and each year an additional 15 to 20 thousand more people are injured or killed by these devices. More than 100 million such devices are still buried in over 70 countries. The major technical challenge in clearing minefields is detecting the mines. The technologies used today are not much different from those used in World War II, requiring detection teams to risk life and limb by physically entering the minefields. Clearly, there is a critical need for an efficient solution for the remote detection of buried landmines and unexploded ordnance. Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem now report a potential answer to this need. Writing in the journal Nature Biotechnology, they present a novel, functional system combining lasers and bacteria to remotely map the location of buried landmines and unexploded ordnance. The system is based on the observation that all landmines leak minute quantities of explosive vapors, which accumulate in the soil above them and serve as markers for their presence. The researchers molecularly engineered live bacteria that emit a fluorescent signal when they come into contact with these vapors. This signal can be recorded and quantified from a remote location. The laser-based scanning system used to locate buried landmines. Credit: Hebrew University The bacteria were encapsulated in small polymeric beads, which were scattered across the surface of a test field in which real antipersonnel landmines were buried. Using a laser-based scanning system, the test field was remotely scanned and the location of the buried landmines was determined. This appear to be the first demonstration of a functional standoff landmine detection system. "Our field data show that engineered biosensors may be useful in a landmine detection system. For this to be possible, several challenges need to be 1 / 2
Transcript of Glowing bacteria detect buried landmines
Glowing bacteria detect buried landmines11 April 2017
Remote detection of buried landmines is a possibleapplication of system to remotely detect buriedlandmines using a bacterial sensor and a laser-basedscanning system. Credit: Hebrew University
The need for safe and efficient technologies fordetecting buried landmines and unexplodedordnance is a humanitarian issue of immenseglobal proportions. About half a million peoplearound the world are suffering from mine-inflictedinjuries, and each year an additional 15 to 20thousand more people are injured or killed bythese devices. More than 100 million such devicesare still buried in over 70 countries.
The major technical challenge in clearingminefields is detecting the mines. The technologiesused today are not much different from those usedin World War II, requiring detection teams to risklife and limb by physically entering the minefields.Clearly, there is a critical need for an efficientsolution for the remote detection of buriedlandmines and unexploded ordnance.
Researchers from the Hebrew University ofJerusalem now report a potential answer to this
need. Writing in the journal Nature Biotechnology,they present a novel, functional system combininglasers and bacteria to remotely map the location ofburied landmines and unexploded ordnance.
The system is based on the observation that alllandmines leak minute quantities of explosivevapors, which accumulate in the soil above themand serve as markers for their presence. Theresearchers molecularly engineered live bacteriathat emit a fluorescent signal when they come intocontact with these vapors. This signal can berecorded and quantified from a remote location.
The laser-based scanning system used to locate buriedlandmines. Credit: Hebrew University
The bacteria were encapsulated in small polymericbeads, which were scattered across the surface ofa test field in which real antipersonnel landmineswere buried. Using a laser-based scanning system,the test field was remotely scanned and thelocation of the buried landmines was determined.This appear to be the first demonstration of afunctional standoff landmine detection system.
"Our field data show that engineered biosensorsmay be useful in a landmine detection system. Forthis to be possible, several challenges need to be
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overcome, such as enhancing the sensitivity andstability of the sensor bacteria, improving scanningspeeds to cover large areas, and making thescanning apparatus more compact so it can beused on board a light unmanned aircraft or drone,"said Prof. Shimshon Belkin, from the HebrewUniversity's Alexander Silberman Institute of LifeSciences, who was responsible for geneticallyengineering the bacterial sensors.
These luminous microbial beads demonstrate thefluorescent signal produced by the bacteria Credit:Hebrew University
More information: Nature Biotechnology (2017). DOI: 10.1038/nbt.3791
Provided by Hebrew University of JerusalemAPA citation: Glowing bacteria detect buried landmines (2017, April 11) retrieved 12 January 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2017-04-bacteria-landmines.html
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