UW News
Stuart Strand
May 3, 2021
Genetically engineered grass cleanses soil of toxic pollutants left by military explosives, new research shows
A team, which includes researchers from the University of Washington, demonstrated that over the course of three years, a genetically engineered switchgrass could break down an explosive chemical in plots of soil at a military range.
December 19, 2018
Researchers develop a new houseplant that can clean your home’s air
Researchers at the University of Washington have genetically modified a common houseplant to remove chloroform and benzene from the air around it.
November 22, 2016
New grasses neutralize toxic pollution from bombs, explosives and munitions
UW engineers have developed the first transgenic grass species that can take up and destroy RDX — a toxic compound that has been widely used in explosives since World War II and contaminates military bases, battlegrounds and some drinking water wells.
