Abstract: A sensing unit is disclosed. The sensing unit includes: a first compartment which includes a first group of polymer beads carrying genetically engineered cells configured to produce a reporter when exposed to a target material; and a first detector configured to detect the reporter; and a second compartment having: a second group of the polymer beads carrying the genetically engineered cells configured to produce the reporter when exposed to the target material; and a second detector configured to detect the reporter. The second compartment is impenetrable to the target material and the first compartment is penetrable to the target material.

Abstract: The present invention discloses genetically engineered plants which display altered structure or morphology. The transgenic plants express a cell wall modulation transgene or gene construct that results in the altered structure or morphology. The altered structure or Morphology can be associated with, for example, altered biomass, growth, yield, greater or less resistance to biodegradation, more or less digestible to ruminants, altered cellulose content, larger leaves/normal hypocotyls or smaller leaves/longer hypocotyls, etc. compared to a non-transgenic plant of the same species. The cell wall modulation transgene can be any cellulose binding domain, a cellulose binding protein, or a cell wall modifying protein or enzyme such as endoxyloglucan transferase, xyloglucan endo-transglycosylase, an expansin, cellulose synthase, or a novel isolated endo-1,4-&bgr;-glucanase of Arabidopsis thaliana.