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 ...
It’s always very good to hear from you CO! Thanks for your kitteh stories. They are so sweet!
:o]
‘Face
Look at that sweet kitteh squee! Me. Want.
Good morning. I have to go back to Walmart because the top on the bottle of generic X-14 was broken and leaked and reeked.
But with luck, I can get the shredding done and hopefully get the rug down. That may have to wait a day or two, though. Depends on how I feel.
Good morning. I’ll go to Walmart in the late afternoon. DP and I have a church meeting all morning. I’ll need to start getting the Youth out of bed shortly, so we can get the schedule sorted out for everyone.
Off to Wally’s. It will be a cold drive, again.
I just transferred my portable file back to my file cabinet, so that’s one more thing I don’t have to worry about. When I get back from Wally’s I’ll start the shredding again, because I really do want this mess out of here so I can put the rug down.
Another productive day, I hope!
Pretty markings on that sweet kitteh!
He does a good job keep the floor shiny!
There. I fixed it. (Sorry, Ganag.)
*tagline*
Whoa!
Thank you for the precious!
You know , I always wondered how feather dusters transported themselves around before articulated trucks where invented.
But where is Krosp, Emperor of cats?
I found it by searching for “Cutest Kitten Pictures.”
LOL!
Placido Domingo, kitteh fans. Today's kitten lives in Sweden.
I love that kamo kitteh.
Good morning. I’m going to unpack my coffee pot today, and may try to find a permanent place on the counter, though space is at a premium.
Now I’m going to go shower.
Good morning. We had sleet overnight, but I think it’s just rain now.
And its above freezing, here. Go figure. However, rain is expected by Tuesday, and that means the mountains will have snow again. I keep wanting to take a photo of them covered with fresh snow, but the clouds are too low the day after and by the time I can get out to do it, most of the snow is gone. *sigh*
OK. I’m off...
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.