Handheld bio detector nears fruition.

A joint effort by the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Energy Department's Northwest National Laboratory has produced a fast-acting, handheld biosensor that can test people and equipment.

The green box sensor is being developed for Air Force special operations forces, which should soon have a reliable and cost-effective means of determining whether biological warfare agents are present in their operational environment.

Test results are available in minutes, the company says.

The system, which is still in trials, relies on a biochemical assay that checks out DNA fragments. A liquid crystal display and light emitting diodes quickly tell the operator whether a threat is present and its degree of potency.