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 ...
I have two BIG paw prints on my skirt.
Anybody know what today’s date is?
Happy New Year, y'all!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
wind blew all last night about as hard as i’ve ever seen it since i moved here...
OH, I hate that! If I think a dog is going to jump on me, I’ll raise my right knee so that’s what meets their chest. That jumping behavior is bad behavior in any dog and is never liked by anyone but the owners.
I got a couple of things done today, but I’m still not happy. There are thermostats in each room for the baseboard heaters and they are at eye-level so if I want to hang anything it has to be above that and its a real nuisance.
Then there is the room air conditioner on one living room wall which prevents me from hanging three of my favorite paintings.
Tomorrow, I’ll pack up the Nativities for sure. Today, it just seems like too many other things took precedence. I have no idea why its so hard for me to feel “settled” here.
Google tells me it’s New Year’s Day, all day.
Happy New Year! I hope it didn’t blow down anything important.
It’s not me: it’s the nature of Cats.
no thank God, i took down the biggest tree i was worried about and parts of two more a few years back or my garage would prolly been rekt for sure.
Happy New Year ya’all...
Happy New Year, to you and yours, Stranger! Good to see you on here again, even if its only for a bit!
I’ve moved from Vegas, so things are a little slower here!
Doing that here for the last 24+ hours! And its VERY cold!
Happy New Year!
I suppose now that the blusteries have quieted and before it becomes too night-like outside I should take a wander about the property to see what damage has been wrought.
I expect more broken shingles to be lying about..
Howya, DC!
These people seem unduly optimistic. They keep saying Happy New Year when so far it has barely been even three-quarters of a day.
Happy New Year, DC.
My weather foreguesstimater pogrom, er program says it is chilly in your parts. Or at least where my middle sister lives just off the old Rock Island Spine Line near Rochester..
Didn't I hear that's a mighty good line?
It actually was until it went belly up. If they could have held out a little bit longer the Staggers Act and its deregulation would have helped them a lot and many speculate that they could have survived.
My only interaction with The Rock was that they used Chicago’s LaSalle Street terminal. New York Central also used LaSalle Street so back in the mid 60’s when I was riding trains to college in St. Paul it was NYC from Toledo into LaSalle Station and then, after a cab ride to Union Station, CB&Q (or Northern Pacific) to SPUD. I do remember hearing Rock Island trains being announced but can’t say that I ever saw one. Of course I wasn’t looking for one either back then..
As it is even after bankruptcy and liquidation, about 75% of their 7000 or so miles of track are still in use under various new owners. Including the Spine Line (which as nearly as I can determine is now part of Union Pacific) that goes through my Sister’s town in Minnesota..
(Your railroad trivia for today. ;-)
That makes it less likely that anything terrible has happened this year.
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