Environmental monitoring: microorganism-based sensor development

US Armed Forces researchers have collaborated with research institutes to develop microorganism-based devices to detect substances such as heavy metals, organic contaminants, energy compounds, explosives, chemical weapons, and gases, with a sensitivity comparable to conventional sensors. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has announced a $10.7 million contract with the Battelle Memorial Institute for this project. This initiative aims to improve environmental monitoring through more sensitive microbial sensors, which could be used to detect a wide range of threats. These devices could represent an important evolution in environmental detection technology.