The proteins are designed for integration into unassuming and unobtrusive chemical sensors. In airports or sporting arenas, for instance, plants that came in contact with trace chemicals from explosives would blanch white, visibly alerting nearby security personnel that explosives are in the vicinity. Currently the CSU lab has developed plants that turn white in the presence of TNT and is working with Homeland Security to create horticulture-based sensors for a variety of other chemical stimuli, though deployment of terror-fighting foliage is still a few years away. Once perfected, they could be as sensitive as a dog's nose.