Molekylær Biolog Carsten Meier, fra Københavns Universitet, fandt i 2001 på at bruge det naturlige farvestof i planter til at skabe en biosensor der kan "tænde" for den røde farve på basis af forskellige stimuli. Det blev til selskabet Aresa og landmineplanten RedDetect der skifter farve fra grøn til rød, når den stimuleres af udsivende stoffer fra eksempelvis landminer eller ueksploderet ammunition. RedDetect vurderes at være væsentlig mere effektiv end konventionelle landminerydningsmetoder og blev i 2004 af New York Times udnævnt til at være blandt de mest innovative ideer i verden.
http://www.dkpto.dk/nyheder/temaer/kanon/index.htm
Jørgen Johansen
U.S. Department of State
Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
Office of Humanitarian Demining Programs
Washington, DC
July 1, 2001
The U.S. Government's Humanitarian Demining Program seeks to relieve human suffering while promoting U.S. interests. The Program's objectives are to establish and support sustainable indigenous demining programs, reduce civilian casualties, create conditions for the return of refugees and displaced persons to their homes, reinforce an affected country's stability,and encourage international cooperation and participation. The Program seeksto accomplish these objectives by helping to establish and support sustainable indigenous mine action capabilities in mine-affected nations. Since FY 1993, the United States has committed almost $500 million to global mine action initiatives, including research and development.
Out of the 26 countries in Europe reported to have landmine problems, the United States is providing assistance to nine of those countries and theprovince of Kosovo. These countries are Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Georgia, and Macedonia. U.S. assistance to Moldova enabled that country to declare itself mine-safe in August 2000.
Since 1993, the United States has provided more than $56,411,787 in Humanitarian Demining Assistance to these countries and Kosovo.
Since 1998, U.S. assistance has been provided through the International Trust Fund (ITF) for Demining and Mine Victim Assistance to Bosnia-Herzegovina, and since 1999, to Croatia. In 2000, Albania began receiving U.S. assistance through the ITF.