“Plants are very good analytical chemists,” explains Professor Michael Strano told EuroNews. “They have an extensive root network in the soil, are constantly sampling groundwater, and have a way to self-power the transport of that water up into the leaves.” But it’s hard to really talk to plants (though heaven knows I try all the time to talk to my plants, they don’t talk back in very detailed ways). “This is a novel demonstration of how we have overcome the plant/human communication barrier.”
Plant nanobionics is an entire field and, while this experiment was to detect explosives, it can do more, like detect pollution and other environmental issues. Strano has already done this as well, altering how his subject plants photosynthesize to detect the pollutants nitric oxide.
A+
Coimbatore: In a latest advancement in the emerging field of plant nanobionics â an experimental research that involves using electronic sensors on plants â engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have managed to fit spinach plants with sensors that are capable of sending emails when toxic pollutants accumulate inside plants.
Using a combination of carbon nanotubes and infrared cameras, the plant has been programmed to send an email whenever it senses the presence of toxic chemicals in the soil. The spinach roots can detect the presence of toxic material in groundwater.
The experiment was intended to discover explosives, but the engineers have said that such systems can be tweaked to warn us about dangers associated with climate change and pollution, as plants are highly sensitive to ecological changes.