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. Sometimes a whole pile of kittens is nice, especially if they’re not in your house.
Yes. Especially then! LOL! Bed is made and steroid is had and here I am.
I’m trying to find a vet who does birds, and the only one I could find that would trim Beaker’s beak was ready to charge me almost $150 for the “privilege” of visiting their over-priced office. This is not good, because the beak will have to be trimmed about every 2-3 months.
Right now, I don’t want to do anything. Just sit. Or go back to the bed I just made. Nup to that!
On Sunday, I talked to Charlie and he says the place is really getting bad, just in the ten days I’ve been gone. He’s not very happy there, but I don’t think anyone is. I didn’t tell very many people where I’ve moved to, and some were miffed by that, but that’s their problem. Charlie told me that one resident, Bonnie (used to be the “Chairman of the Board,” as she told people,) wanted my address. I told Charlie to tell her if I had wanted her to have it I would have given it to her before I left. The fewer people who know where I am, the less chance there is that someone could slip up and spill it.
Yes, that is true. Hopefully Charlie won’t spill the beans!
I have Weight Watchers this morning. The news will not be good; I could tell when I put on my Scout uniform last night. Then we’ll go by Asuncion’s to pick up a piece of jewelry I asked her to make for Kathleen’s friend at the stable who broke her arm.
But before that, I need to reorganize the music for Christmas, because Asuncion texted me last night to say she’ll be out of town, so we’ll have to do our heart-wrenching duet of “Pobre Nino” on the 30th instead.
Yes, I understand. This morning I saw that I had lost seven pounds, but its probably part of the nine pounds I put on just before the move.
I just plugged in my little Worx screwdrill so I can start to put the bathroom shelves together so I can at least get some of the stuff hidden.
I told Chuck its OK if the doors aren't on the closets as that will give me incentive to keep them neat! And yes, I will roll the soft items.
What a precious little face! Thanks, Covenantor!
*tagline*
Aw. You could almost forget he has claws.
Good tagline.
We make our plans, and God laughs.
-Rich Mullins
Not us. It was most definitely NOT US.
Good morning!
Bathroom pantry?
Why, you ol’ rebel, you.
Bow ties make you sad?
Mine, too. My choir sings different verses on each Sunday of Advent. The text is ancient:
http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/prayers/the-o-antiphons-of-advent.cfm
Good morning. I find it’s easier to blame the boys than the catz, because I can make the boys clean it up.
“Just admit it, James: you spewed the cat food on the carpet.”
I only said that because the closet I’m using for the “pantry” is probably the linen closet, so when I have more energy, I’ll swap out the two of them because more things go in the pantry and the closet I’m using for linens is large.
Moving in is fun, if it were 12 years ago when I wasn’t so overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task. I’ll get it done. it may take a while but then... I do have some time...
My brane isn’t working right.
I remember in the movie “The Incredibles” that the mom wanted to celebrate when the final box was unpacked. The dad said, “But we moved in six months ago!”
Yah. that would be me. NOT! I have to try and get rid of this “island” today, if I don’t do anything else!
So precious! Thank you!
Maybe the subliminal message is to make everyone want to adopt another cat....
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