Every year a few thousand people die while clearing leftover landmines from war zones. Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have found a special type of bacteria that illuminates when in the presence of explosive vapors seeping from the landmines. By placing the glowing bacteria into tiny polymer beads, the researchers can scatter them over areas suspected of harboring mines. Using a laser-based scanning system, they can scan the area and detect the location of landmines buried beneath the surface.