Genetically modified plants vacuum up toxins

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Scientists have figured out a way to trick plants into doing the dirty work of environmental cleanup, U.S. and British researchers reported on Monday.

Researchers at the University of Washington have genetically altered poplar trees to pull toxins out of contaminated ground water, offering a cost-effective way of cleaning up environmental pollutants.

A group of British researchers, meanwhile, has developed genetically altered plants that can clean residues of military explosives from the environment.

"Our work is in the beginning stages, but it holds great promise," said Sharon Doty, an assistant professor of forest resources at the University of Washington, whose study appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Doty's research is part of an emerging area of study known as phytoremediation, which aims to use trees, grasses and other plans to remove hazardous materials.

"Phytoremediation is basically a solar-powered pollutant-removal system," said Doty in comments e-mailed to Reuters.

"It uses the plant's natural ability to extract chemicals from water, soil, and air," Doty said.

Using plants to do environmental cleanup is more than 10 times cheaper than other technologies. It is also less intrusive and more aesthetically pleasing, she said.