Scientists are creating genetically modified mice to sniff out land-mines.
The GM danger mice have noses that are far more sensitive to the scent of explosives. The project is funded by the US government.
Although it sounds bizarre, the idea is not a new one.
A Belgian charity already usesgiant African rats to sniff out TNT, but training them takes nine months. Now a team at the City University of New York believe genetic modifications could bypass the need for this work.
Researcher Charlotte D'Hulst told the Society for Neurosciences conference in New Orleans: "The rats are very effective, but mice are cheaper to manage and house and easier to breed."
