"Plants can't run and hide" in the world, so over time, some
have evolved the ability to alter their structure when they
perceive a threat. That's the mechanism now being exploited by
Colorado State University biologist Jane Medford, as she and
some 30 undergraduate and graduate students genetically engineer
plants to signal the presence of pollutants or explosives like
TNT by turning from green to white. Medford says the altered
"detector plants" should be able eventually to act as guardians
at airports and other public places. And thanks to a $7.9
million grant from the Defense Department's Defense Threat
Reduction Agency, Medford's team can speed along its research.
Speed, not surprisingly, is important: In the presence of a
chemical threat, the first-generation plants are still taking
hours to drain their leaves of color. The Earth Island Journal
recently profiled a cohort of 10,000 baby boomers who,
incredibly, remain on the federal dole even though they haven't
done a lick of work during the last six de