‘Smart Plants’ Could Soon Detect Deadly Radon and Mold in Your Home
Your favorite succulent just got a little more succulent. Inspired by smoke detectors and smart home monitors, scientists are genetically engineering houseplants to sense harmful chemicals from mold and other kinds of fungi—and alert homeowners to their presence. If they can figure out how houseplants respond to other threats, such as radon and airborne pathogens, researchers could one day engineer “smart plants” to tackle a whole host of problems.
That technology could soon move inside the home, say reviewers, where “living walls” of genetically modified plants could be installed near air vents, where they might one day be able to sense toxic mold growth and airborne viruses, like the flu. Right now, they would have to be illuminated to see the signal, in this case with ultraviolet light. Scientists hope to soon discover proteins in houseplants that could produce a signal visible to the naked human eye.
Date: July 19, 2018
Image: Google Images
Coordinator: EnvGuide Team
Source: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/07/smart-plants-could-soon-detect-deadly-radon-and-mold-your-home