The Pentagon Wants to Make an Army of Virus-Spreading Insects. Scientists Are Concerned.

.livescience.com ^ | October 5, 2018 12:57pm ET | Brandon Specktor

[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."

[no-to-illegals]

Wow ... new digs and FRiends. Life is good

[Darksheare]

Drats!

[Tax-chick]

[no-to-illegals]

Halp !!! I see bugs

[Tax-chick]

Or something else scary!

[no-to-illegals]

‘‘Tis the season to be scary ... tralalalalala la la la la. Good morning !!! Prayers all is well

[Tax-chick]

Thanks. Doing okay here, all things considered, and hope you are the same.

[no-to-illegals]

Glad all is well for you and yours. Thanks for asking about me and mine. Mine are meaner than ever and having babies too. Little girl due in a few weeks. Oh happy day !!!! If our cups runneth over, may it be love all over the counter

[Monkey Face]

What is that floof hiding in? A cinder block?

Good morning.

I wake up with less back pain, but the sofa is so small, I can’t get comfy. But I’m warm and that’s all I care about. Only a week into “cold” weather and I want summer to come back.

Now I’m off to the shower. Maybe I can warm up then.

[Tax-chick]

I think it’s a cinder block. Our cats are too big to lurk in cinder blocks.

[Monkey Face]

I suspect Shannon, with a little help, could BE a cinder block!

[Silentgypsy]

Just when you’ve posted the cutest kitteh pic on earth, you outdo yourself—thank you!

[Silentgypsy]

G’orning, y’all!

[Tax-chick]

You’re welcome. Every kitten is the cutest!

[Monkey Face]

Good morning. How was your first night in the new digs? Which time zone did you pick this time?

I prefer “Are We There, Yet?”

[ArGee]

I don’t know about idiocy. I may use the word wrong, but I think of an idiot as being someone who has no idea what they’re doing.

Obama knew. He was malevolent, not an idiot.

[ArGee]

Well, I made it while it is still morning.

Wappy Hensday, everyone!

[ArGee]

G’orning backatcha. How’s tricks?

[ArGee]

NOTE: The author doesn’t actually support wapping hens. If you wap a hen, you do so at your own risk.

[Tax-chick]

How do you wap?