He's a bit gruff before his first coffee.
Posted on 10/06/2018 2:02:35 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Pentagon research project called "Insect Allies." Funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the project involves using gene-editing techniques like CRISPR to infect insects with modified viruses that could help make America's crops more resilient. If a cornfield were hit by an unexpected drought or suddenly exposed to a pathogen, for example, Insect Allies might deploy an army of aphids carrying a genetically modified virus to slow the corn plant's growth rate.
According to the DARPA website, these "targeted therapies" could take effect in a single growing season, potentially protecting the American crop system from food security threats like disease, flooding, frost and even "threats introduced by state or non-state actors.
… Insect Allies, is less concerned. "Anytime you're developing a new and revolutionary technology, there is that potential for [both offensive and defensive] capability," Bextine told The Washington Post. "But that is not what we are doing. We are delivering positive traits to plants… We want to make sure we ensure food security, because food security is national security in our eyes."
Insect Allies is still in the early stages of development, and at least four U.S. colleges (Boyce Thompson Institute, Penn State University, The Ohio State University and the University of Texas at Austin)have received funding to carry out research. Bextine told The Washington Post that the project recently achieved its first milestone — testing whether an aphid could infect a stalk of corn with a designer virus that caused fluorescence. According to the Washington Post, "the corn glowed."
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
Good morning. What a nice Christmas you will have in your new place with your new decor!
In my time zone, we have six days to get everything ready for Advent Kitteh, who will visit on Saturday night, with her pristine white paws and her plumy tail, making sure everything has been dusted. I’ll have to catch Tom the Son at home and get him to dust the ceiling-fan blades.
Good morning. Happy Monday.
I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. My F-I-L is very much into watching sports so I saw some decent college basketball and some disappointing professional football. But his house was warm (unlike the outside), the food was good, the family was thankful, so there’s nothing more I could ask for.
(For Thanksgiving, that is.)
He's a bit gruff before his first coffee.
Happy Monday to you too. I’m glad you had a nice time. We watched a football game, too, because Anoreth is into sports.
Needs a visit to the groomer, too.
LOL!
What a beauty!
I do believe that kitteh has been to the groomer, at which time it said: “NOT THE BEARD!!!!!”
Sorry, I’m too lazy to look up the related Gimli meme today.
My old décor is going to be like new décor because I haven’t seen it for so long. And my BOOKS! I get to put out my books!
I would do Advent, but it will have to wait until next year, and maybe, just maybe, I can find a really nice reuseable Advent calendar for Christmas of 2019. I don’t think I can afford it this year.
The clothes are hanging to dry, two calls were made to specific landlords before I left to wash clothes, and now, I need to go get the oil changed.
I have no idea what awaits after that!
Maybe, but honestly, he should look in the mirror!
Cue Michael Jackson:
I’m looking at the cat in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
Cats never do.
What a memorable morning! I took the BB SUV to the Muffler Shop for an oil change and as I was walking down to pick the truck up, my phone rang again, this time from Hurricane. More on that in a minute.
The filter I bought was the wrong one (thanks, Walmart) so they put in theirs and charged me accordingly, which I wasn’t expecting. Jerry told me the noise the doors make when they are opened is because Discount Tire bent the rocker panels when they put the BB SUV on the hoist. I told Jerry I had contacted Discount Tire within 24 hours of the problem but they refused to acknowledge it was their mistake. So now, I have to take it to a body shop to have the rocker panels straightened out. *seethe*
Ok, the call from Chuck in Hurricane was surprising, in several different ways, but it was goodly surprising! He told me the number of my new apartment, and that he was going to do a background check (only $15 this time) and that the deposit and the first month’s rent could be paid for by check.
He answered all my questions, and when I hung up, I realized there was one I forgot to ask. But its OK.
He’s going to email me a letter of offer, and said he would be waiting for me any day I showed up! LOL! Good news all the way around.
So far, only Charlie knows that I’m leaving, but I’ll tell others later this week. The laundry expense will drop by almost half. :o])
Just remember:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0Zaevi3IUw
These two were much younger when this first came out, but it’s still a good song.
Roflol!
Thank you for lovely kitteh!
Happy Monday and good to hear that your Thanksgiving was happy!
I think I used to work for him.
Anoreth?
Like the kid who went to the barber and said, “DON’T TOUCH ME. My mother sent me.”
That would be an interesting experiment!
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