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."

[Silentgypsy]

Great! Thanks for letting us know!

[Silentgypsy]

For someone who’s having a bad hair day, this one is verrrry charismatic!

[Tax-chick]

‘Face said several people are helping to unload, so hopefully she’ll be all settled today. I’m waiting for her to send me a photo of the view.

[no-to-illegals]

Wonderful news. Am happy all is well

[Tax-chick]

She doesn’t have internet yet!

[Tax-chick]

Stay warm, n-t-i! Icy rain falling here.

[no-to-illegals]

10-4. Icy rain here also. Per latest info 10pm for snow beginning. May you and yours stay warm and safe

[Tax-chick]

Getting up close with cats.

[NicknamedBob]

The only difference between cats and dragons is that cats have better regulated heat.

[null and void]

[Tax-chick]

Dang, that is super nerdy.

[Tax-chick]

Fur vs. scales is an important difference, especially if the critter is under the bedcovers with you.

[Darksheare]

My cats keep telling me they’re cold.
They also insist they have to be under the blankets at 3 AM.

[Tax-chick]

Jake is very serious about getting under the blankets. We rarely get Shannon on the bed, because she’s so fat it’s hard for her to jump up.

[NicknamedBob]

You should build stairs for your cats to reach the beds, and put a switch on the top step that activates the bed-warming.

What kind of failed servant/minions are you anyway?

[NicknamedBob]

According to a friend on another frequency:

“Duke energy said power out for western NC.”

Stay snug, T-c. Pull up another cat.

[Tax-chick]

I’m in South-Central NC. We just have rain and ice.

[Tax-chick]

[Tax-chick]

‘Face says to tell you that her freezer and all its contents made it through the trip with no problems.

[Silentgypsy]

Thank you for the precious!