It is said that should the world engage in nuclear war
only the cockroaches will be left standing. So, it comes
as not so much of a shock that they should be hired as the
new sentries to fight the war on terror.
The Miniature Bomb Squad
Biologist Karen Kester, a professor at Virginia Commonwealth
University in Richmond Virginia, heads up a project that
seeks to use various insects (including the infamous cockroach)
to detect hazardous bio-terrorist weapons such as anthrax.
The Pentagon Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
(PDARPA) recently endorsed the project by granting $1 million
to fund Dr Ketser. In her January 12th 2005 presentation “Bugs
Fight Terrorism,” Kester outlined how the behavior
of bugs, such as cockroaches, crickets, moths, and beetles,
can actually indicate changes in toxin levels of air and
soil. Examining changes in the environment and the behavior
of bugs could prove to be a very human friendly and cost
effective way to deal with the threat of bio-terrorism.
Dr Kester contends that bugs can be used as mobile swab
kits to gather chemical information of an area. This lessens
the cost and health risk of human bomb squads armed in protective
gear, doing a job that could be potentially deadly. However,
Kester also believes that the methods she is developing are
part of a greater project to map and examine environmental
hazards of all kinds. The fact that bugs can be used in the
War on Terror is somewhat of a timely bonus. It also marks
new trend in science that favors going back to the roots
rather than being so dependent on costly mechanical technological
gadetry.
Weeds and National Security
Dr Kester’s project is one of many projects funded by the PDARPA that hope
to use nature’s technology for the detection of chemical agents. June Medford,
a biologist at Colorado State University is developing the common weed to act
as an indicator of toxin levels. The weeds are genetically modified so that if
they are exposed to certain agents they turn color. Medford wants to see such
weeds covering vast patches of ground that can be seen by satellite. The hope
is that even the most minute traces of environmental hazard will cause the weeds
foresee potential catastrophe. Early detection in atmospheric changes mean that
populations will be more prepared to handle evacuations and quick and secure
clean-ups. Eventually it could be possible that households will have their own
personal houseplant turned bio-terrorism fighting representative. Who knows,
maybe your next hanging fern will save your life!
Entomologist, Thomas Baker, at Penn State University is
also looking to nature as a tool for chemical and toxin detection.
Baker, like Kester studies bugs as biosensors. Baker attaches
different insect antennae sections through saline to electrical
circuits to detect and distinguish between different chemicals.
He then examines the response pattern of various bugs and
records them into a specialized computer program. These little
biosensors are extremely sensitive to different odors.
Different bugs respond differently to the agents they are
exposed to. Therefore, different bugs may be specialized
in their sentry sensory duties. The problem so far is that
antennae have a short sensory life span. Baker and his team
are working with in conjunction with the Defense Threat Reduction
Agency (DRTA) to see that antennae sensors are up to optimum
performance so that they can be to detect drugs, explosives,
and agro-terrorism agents in high-risk areas such as airports.
Right now however, the project is still in the “concept
phase.”
Water Sentries
This new trend in studying nature’s bio-sentries is
not restricted to land creatures. Meg Pinza and Susan Thomas
of the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory are using various sea organisms such as clams,
seaweed and sea worms to track hazardous materials in water.
Recent research centers on mollusks and their highly specialized
filtering system used to attain food.
Maybe entomphobics (people that fear bugs) are not going
to be terribly excited by the prospect of security bug patrols.
Still, it’s nice to see the world’s pests on
display for a greater cause. For once, the weeds and cockroaches
of the world may be welcome visitors.
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