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The Pentagon Wants to Make an Army of Virus-Spreading Insects. Scientists Are Concerned.
.livescience.com ^ | October 5, 2018 12:57pm ET | Brandon Specktor

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 ...


TOPICS: Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: aphids; boycethompson; cornelluniversity; crispr; darpa; hurricaneutah; insectallies; ithaca; molassesmiasma; monkeyfacerules; newyork; nithaca; ohio; ohiostate; pennstate; pennsylvania; texas; undead; undeadthread; undeadthreadhere; uoftexasataustin; workingdogs
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To: Monkey Face

Unfortunately, or fortunelessly, or whatever, I know of no mechanics in Hurricane.

I do remember getting a van towed once only to find out that my jury-rigged battery terminal was just one hair too long and so the contact was getting lost occasionally. (DOH!)


2,661 posted on 01/08/2019 12:29:00 PM PST by ArGee (I trust people with freedom more than I trust government with power.)
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To: ColdOne

I am very glad the cat is still alive.

Let us know when you discover what planet it is from.


2,662 posted on 01/08/2019 12:30:38 PM PST by ArGee (I trust people with freedom more than I trust government with power.)
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To: Tax-chick

Another little miracle! Thank you.


2,663 posted on 01/08/2019 12:39:55 PM PST by Silentgypsy ( “If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.”__Scorpion)
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To: ArGee; ColdOne
Let us know when you discover what planet it is from.

Schroedinger's World ...

2,664 posted on 01/08/2019 12:43:10 PM PST by BlueLancer (Orchides Forum Trahite - Cordes Et Mentes Veniant)
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To: ArGee

Yayyyyy, ArGee!!! Are you going to be working with people who know what they’re doing?


2,665 posted on 01/08/2019 12:47:11 PM PST by Silentgypsy ( “If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.”__Scorpion)
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To: Covenantor

Well advised.


2,666 posted on 01/08/2019 12:48:53 PM PST by Silentgypsy ( “If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.”__Scorpion)
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To: ColdOne

You should get a Kitteh Welfare prize for supporting a cat through an Idaho winter! Best wishes. Sorry to learn about your husband; I hadn’t seen that sad news.


2,667 posted on 01/08/2019 12:53:20 PM PST by Tax-chick (What can I do to fight entropy today?)
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To: NicknamedBob
Thank you, Bob. You are a great blessing!

Please give me permission to quote you via tagline?

2,668 posted on 01/08/2019 12:53:47 PM PST by Silentgypsy ( “If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.”__Scorpion)
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To: ColdOne

CO, it is so grand to hear from you! Does Fredd get on well with catz?


2,669 posted on 01/08/2019 12:58:43 PM PST by Silentgypsy ( “If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.”__Scorpion)
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To: Silentgypsy
Are you going to be working with people who know what they’re doing?

Thanks, S-G. There's a good chance. Even better, I'm going to be working with people who understand what I'm doing.

2,670 posted on 01/08/2019 12:59:56 PM PST by ArGee (I trust people with freedom more than I trust government with power.)
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To: Darksheare

” A fog of Frogs”

Hmmmm......
Launch when ready!


2,671 posted on 01/08/2019 1:10:27 PM PST by moose07 (DMCS (Dit Me Cong San ) Forward to the glorious world of next Tuesday !)
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To: Covenantor

Stealth Bears are the worst.
You just never see the attack coming.


2,672 posted on 01/08/2019 1:13:18 PM PST by moose07 (DMCS (Dit Me Cong San ) Forward to the glorious world of next Tuesday !)
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To: ArGee

Congratulations on your successful escape from the jaws of PC. :)


2,673 posted on 01/08/2019 1:14:37 PM PST by moose07 (DMCS (Dit Me Cong San ) Forward to the glorious world of next Tuesday !)
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To: Silentgypsy

Yes, when I went to get Fredd he was at a vet and cats and kittens where all over the place. 2 of them where kitten breeding on him.

The old next door neighbor had a cat this last summer for a short time, let it out all the time. It would lay in the road in front of our place and Fredd was just fine with it.


2,674 posted on 01/08/2019 1:46:55 PM PST by ColdOne ((I miss my poochie... Tasha 2000~3/14/11~ Best Election Ever!)
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To: ArGee

LOL! Sure will!


2,675 posted on 01/08/2019 1:47:34 PM PST by ColdOne ((I miss my poochie... Tasha 2000~3/14/11~ Best Election Ever!)
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To: BlueLancer

;)


2,676 posted on 01/08/2019 1:47:59 PM PST by ColdOne ((I miss my poochie... Tasha 2000~3/14/11~ Best Election Ever!)
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To: Tax-chick

Thank you!


2,677 posted on 01/08/2019 1:48:42 PM PST by ColdOne ((I miss my poochie... Tasha 2000~3/14/11~ Best Election Ever!)
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To: ColdOne
I was looking for a funny cat that looked like it was from another planet. I found this and had to share.


2,678 posted on 01/08/2019 1:54:45 PM PST by ArGee (I trust people with freedom more than I trust government with power.)
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To: moose07
Stealth Bears are the worst. You just never see the attack coming.

Ah, so you've heard of Timothy Treadwell in the UK? Grisly what happened to him.

2,679 posted on 01/08/2019 2:01:51 PM PST by Covenantor (Men are ruled...by liars who refuse them news, and by fools who cannot govern. " Chesterton)
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To: Silentgypsy
"Please give me permission to quote you via tagline?"

You want to quote my tagline?

You have my permission to quote my tagline.

2,680 posted on 01/08/2019 2:19:34 PM PST by NicknamedBob (If you can't do something well, you won't do anything good.)
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