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 ...
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It’s a bad time of year to get Chuck to be busy at work, I expect. However, regular time starts again on Wednesday.
I got the laundry detergent and a few other things at Walmart. Then I had a nap. Then James and I went over to see Eddie the Rottweiler again. He went outside and chewed up some shrubbery. I’ll go back between 7 and 8 to feed him.
I’ve got my 2013 calendar ready to use again. It has pictures of classic cars, so it really doesn’t go out of style.
I haven’t checked on our calendar supplies yet. We do that on January 1. We used to wash our wool sweaters, back when we had such, but that was the 80s.
Happy New Year!
HAPPY NEW YEAR, UNDEADERS!!!
May the new year bring all of you blessings (both recognized and unrecognized) and that you may be blessed with the necessities of life and more.
‘Face
2019
:o])
Good morning, 2019!
Wishing dis floof could trade places wif me.
Good morning. The wind began blowing yesterday afternoon and hasn’t quit, yet. The temp is 25° and the wind speed makes it feel like 11°, according to the weather sites I consulted. NOT going out there!!
Today, I’ll put away the Nativities and begin a “normal” life here at 165. Maybe I can get a few more things hung up on the walls today. I hope. I need my little key caddy, because pockets are no place for keys.
Tomorrow, the world will start getting back to normal. I’ve already had my first cat spew of the new year.
The temperature here is in the 60s. It’s weird.
Congratulations on the cat spew. That’s always good for celebrating the new year! Or getting back to normal after the holidays. ;o]
I’m excited about getting the BB SUV registered, but now, I’m in a quandary. I thought I wanted personalized plates, ($60) but then I saw that they also offer the old plain white plates, and I was thinking about that. If I can get those personalized I’ll have “UT CNTY” put on them, since I grew up in Utah County. If not, I’ll just take what they give, or get the “In God We Trust” plates with BB SUV.
So many things to think about...
I wouldn’t pay an extra $60 for plates when you can get standard ones.
I’m trying to get out the door to feed Eddie the Rottweiler and take Frank and Kathleen to their gym program, but they’re delaying getting dressed.
They’re called “vanity plates” for a reason! I’ll probably just go with the old white ones because they’re “different.”
The wind sucks the heat right out of this apartment, and this morning, I was wishing I had gotten one of those heavy robes Wally’s had on sale before Christmas. I may stop there on my way home from DMV just to see if they’ve been marked down again.
I have to take the trash out, but I’m really wishing I had a House Elf to do it. It seems as though I’ll never get really settled in, and it makes me a little depressed, but that’s because I’ve been looking at the stuff around me for three weeks.
Yesterday, Lablady gave me permission to dispose of the Laz-e-Boy, because she said her cats would mutilate it. Since its leather, I really don’t want that to happen. So first, I’ll see if anyone in the Ward wants it and if not, I’ll put it on one of the FB yard sales. That will help.
It may seem as though you’ll never be settled, but it’s only been three weeks! Before you know it, it will seem as if you’ve lived there forever.
Eddie the Rottweiler was thrilled to see us this morning. I’ll go back about 11 for his real walk.
I love dogs and if I could, I’d have one. But. Dander.
The longer I have this TV service, the more I hate it. I can’t watch even the local channels because I get a block of some kind, so first thing tomorrow, I’m going to call them and see what I can do to get them unblocked. I mean, local FOX, BYU, PBS? Parental control? *sheesh*
I don’t mind visits with dogs, but it reminds me of what a nuisance it is having one full-time.
There is that, of course. They need to be walked. And walked. And walked.
I set out the pattern for the plate display over the table, so hopefully, today, I can get them up. I’ll check the other stuff I want to hang as well, but may not get to it until tomorrow.
When I took the trash out a while ago, I also got my mail and Cox and SW Gas are both billing me for time I wasn’t in the apartment, even though both of them were given notices to stop. Nevada Energy is the only entity that sent me a final bill that was “reasonable.” So I’m going to write to both of them and tell them they’re not getting what they want from me. As long as I lived there, I paid my bills on time, or early, and they’re trying to pull THIS on me? I think not.
That’s bills from your old apartment? No, you shouldn’t pay if you had cancelled your service as of your move date. It’s bad enough that you had to pay rent!
Another thing about dogs is that they put their muddy feet on you!
Vlad and I went to Walmart. We’ll have lunch in a few minutes and then go walk Eddie. It is sunny outside, which is very strange! Shannon is lying in a sunbeam on Tom’s bed. I haven’t seen Jake since early this morning; he must be hiding.
Truth. Dogs has muddy feets!
Not going to pay those folks and they can report me if they want to any credit bureau they choose. It won’t change the fact that they’re trying to get money from me illegally. The bestids.
Yes, it IS bad enough that I had to pay rent. A move even five months earlier would have stopped that.
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