Bacteria can be engineered to sense a variety of molecules, such as pollutants or soil nutrients, but usually these signals must be detected microscopically. Now Christopher Voigt, head of MIT’s Department of Bio­logical Engineering, and colleagues have triggered bacterial cells to produce signals that can be read from as far as 90 meters away. Their work could lead to the development of sensors for agricultural and other applications, which could be monitored by drones or satellites. These signatures can be detected with hyperspectral cameras, which determine how much of each color wavelength is present in any given pixel. “There is no reason that any sensor would not be compatible with this technology.” The work is being commercialized through Fieldstone Bio.