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 ...
Kitteh Notice: I will not be posting a Morning Kitteh tomorrow (Friday, Dec. 21) because I will be at Camp Lejeune for my daughter’s graduation from Marine Combat Training. Standard Kitteh service will resume Saturday, December 22.
Good morning, Kitteh Noticer.
You deserve to go to Camp Lejeune to be at your Marine Daughter’s graduation from Combat Training. Someone will fill in the gaps. Won’t they, Gentlemen? Yes, I knew someone would!
I’ve been up way longer than you, as it seems even with the time change, I’m still the early bird on a lotta days. Now I have to go make the bed and have the steroid. I had fewer left than I thought.
*tagline*
I slept a little late, even though a cat turned up and walked over my aches and pains. It’s raining here. I’m going to give Kathleen a bath, next, and then I need to get things squared away so the Offspring can survive 24 hours without me. Tom will be home most of the time, except for his 5:00 - 11:00 p.m. dishwashing shift.
Tom told me his coworkers were astounded that he listens to audiobooks, for hours, while he’s washing.
They probably had parents who put them in front of a TV to keep them quiet, meaning they have no clue that a mind has such enormous capacity for knowledge from every source available! Good for Tom!
Long, complex fantasy novels are his favorite, sort of “War and Peace” with magic.
Drama Queen is away for a couple more days, which increases the probability of things’ running smoothly at home for a day.
So dere, too!
Good morning, all. It’s Friday Eve.
That would be my choice. I’ve read a lot of books like that and I totally understand Tom’s fascination with them.
Good for Drama Queen. Maybe she should investigate the probability of a career in the air force a little more closely. If she behaves herself, she can fly a desk for many years.
Yes, I was thinking yesterday that we had almost officially run out of Mondays this week, and that Friday Eve was upon us. I’m very glad for that because I’ve had my fill of Mondays.
However in some ways, they were productive. Maybe I can get some more stuff done today. I hope. I mean, it IS Friday Eve!
Or, if she doesn't behave herself, she can fly a desk for many years ... in Thule Greenland.
Ah, yes. Thule Greenland. According to the late Igor, the favored place for those malcontents of the military services and the aerospace business. Nothing like serving time in Solitary. ;o]
Now I’m off to Walmart. I hate that I’ve adjusted to the “set your clocks back 50 years” requirement so quickly.
Hmmm.
NYC update email is now saying there’s a wind advisory for tomorrow afternoon. Considering they have also sent a flash flood warning for tomorrow, I’m guessing a storm is coming.
Good thing this island is solid rock.
I shudder to think what Drama Queen could cook up in Thule, Greenland.
Currently, she has traveled by bus to Long Island, I think, with one or more young persons from school, to crash at someone’s relative’s house and ... I don’t know, whatever one does on Long Island in December ... freeze in the dark? She’s due back on Saturday, if nothing major goes wrong.
I think she’ll learn that she would like to avoid, forever, living Up North.
With a Sunshine Lamp, a treadmill, and lots of cross-stitch supplies, I could love Thule.
Hello.
HelloHello!
Hmm. I wonder what he meant by that.
Mairsy dotes and doesy doats ...
I’m partial to them myself.
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