GM mice bred to detect landmines
Scientists have genetically modified mice to enable them to sniff out landmines. They hope the GM mouse, known as MouSensor, could become a useful tool to help deal with the dangerous legacies of past wars.
More than 70 countries are contaminated by unexploded landmines. “Long after wars have ended, communities are still impeded from going back to their normal, daily activities because of all these mines still affecting their land,” said Charlotte D’Hulst of Hunter College, New York, who led the team that developed the MouSensor.
One approach to clearing landmines is to use HeroRats, giant pouched rats that are trained to sniff out landmines by the Belgian NGO Apopo.
