Detection of Buried Landmines in an Active Minefield Through Bioreporter-Based Optoelectronic Sensing of Their Chemical Signatures

The research presented herein provides a first demonstration and a proof of concept of using sensing bacteria (bioreporters) to detect the chemical signatures generated by buried TNT-based landmines in an active minefield. The methodology, based on bioreporters generating a measurable signal in the presence of these chemicals, is fundamentally different from conventional approaches by detecting the explosive component of the device rather than its shape or metallic content. Furthermore, by virtue of the versatility of bioreporters to detect a broad range of target chemicals, the methodology can potentially be adapted to detect other types of explosives through the development of dedicated bioreporters. The measurements also highlight the potential of the biosensing modules to act as nodes in a sensor network for implementing the methodology across large areas. The methodology for detecting TNT via bacterial biosensing can be implemented in alternative configurations, enabling additional applications such as the identification of concealed TNT in cargo containers, buildings, and other environments.