Work published this week in Trends in Plant Sciences seeks to determine whether plants can be used to detect human decomposition. Supported by the DARPA Advanced Plant Technologies program, the University of Tennessee-spearheaded study investigates how "cadaver decomposition islands," the zone immediately surrounding humans remains, may affect nutrient concentrations in soil, and how those changes in turn affect nearby plants. Researchers hope that this tool will enable forensic teams in search of missing persons to use remote sensing technologies to more rapidly identify the location of human remains.