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."

[null and void]

LOL!

[Tax-chick]

I do think the young adults enjoy having their music be a nuisance.

[null and void]

Testing tagline...

[NicknamedBob]

What is wrong with people who see the price drop precipitously and then decide that's the time to sell?

People, when the price goes down, that's the time to buy!

[null and void]

It’s like Las Vegas. Some people are cash recipients, most people are cash donors...

[NicknamedBob]

What it takes is the guts to say, “Let it ride!”

Buy low, sell high only happens for the regular investor who is in it for the long haul.That’s what gives you dollar cost averaging.

It’s like the ants putting away food for the winter, and ignoring all the noise the grasshoppers make.

[Covenantor]

Ho, Ho, Ho... Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

[Tax-chick]

Bill the Son was just saying that he gets Europeans to buy him drinks in bars in Charlotte by saying positive things about socialism.

[Tax-chick]

You just have to wait it out. That’s against our instincts!

[Silentgypsy]

Is the correct term repression? It’s been over 50 years....

[Covenantor]

LOL!

[NoCmpromiz]

So we had the Christmas Eve service at the church. It was more or less the typical service we have always had at Christmas Eve. Readings of the appropriate passages from Matthew and Luke interspersed with the usual carols and a special music piece or two. The usual service of course always ends with the candle lighting and singing of Silent Night. And then everyone goes home.

This year the service was the same. Except for that last part. We still lit the candles. But we didn't sing Silent Night. At least not while standing in the pews. We lit the candles and filed out the door to gather in front of the church. Then we sang Silent Night..

[NoCmpromiz]

And so Merry Christmas everyone!

O Holy Night [Live]

[Tax-chick]

Very pretty! Tom the Son went to Midnight Mass: I heard him come in around 1:00. “Silent Night” isn’t the same at 1:00 p.m., which is when the rest of us will be going to church.

[Monkey Face]

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

I see the country has begun to show a renewed interest and faith in God, and this can mean only good things for America. What a great Christmas gift for our country!

Please continue to pray for our country and our President, and remember the adage: Pray like everything is up to God and work like everything is up to you!

[Tax-chick]

[Monkey Face]

A box with an “X” in it?

Waaaah! I was a good girl, I promise!

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Waaah!

Santa stole my morning kittah!

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Morning Face!

Merry Christmas!

[Tax-chick]

I can see him! Let me try something else.