SPECIAL MENTION: An estimated 20% to 40% of global crop production is lost to pests and pathogens. But what if crops could tell farmers they’re under attack? Agri-tech firm InnerPlant has developed a soybean plant, dubbed the Living Sensor, that has been genetically modified to glow when the plant is under stress—allowing farmers to intervene before it’s too late. The seeds and fledgling shoots, which contain the same fluorescent proteins found in jellyfish, will be available for commercial use in about two years. —Eloise Barry
More Must-Read Stories From TIME
- Here's Where All The Strongest Hurricanes Have Hit the U.S. in the Past 50 Years
- 2022 Time100 NEXT: TIME’s List Of Emerging Leaders Who Are Shaping the Future
- Industrial Farming Causes Climate Change. The ‘Slow Food’ Movement Wants to Stop It
- Here Are the 12 New Books You Should Read in October
- Artist Oliver Jeffers Wants to Paint the World Out of a Corner
- A Vibrant North Korean Community in London Finds Its Days Are Numbered
- COVID-19 Vaccines Can Make Periods Longer, Study Says
- Column: What Happened When My Entire Family Came Out
