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 ...
Having a rough time this way.
Car is leaking some fluids from somewhere under the hood.
Braggart.
The label on the box says five to eight years!
That is most unfortunate. I hope you can get the leak addressed without negative consequences.
On the other hand, at least the car isn't obtaining fluids from somewhere, for example, the passengers. That is mildly comforting.
Ain't nobody got time for dat!
*snicker*
My puzzle was 351 pieces.
I had a nap with Jake. I dreamed a Dalmatian got in bed with us. Then Paige, Hair Designer, showed up and wanted me to pay in advance for a haircut for James. I’m not paying Paige’s prices to get a haircut for James.
Paige was in the dream, I mean, not actually in the house.
The object lesson here is, do not let Jake be the driver of your dream.
I don’t think Jake wants us to have a dog.
I hope to get it tended to post haste.
But that’s not how my luck runs.
Misread that as haircut for Jake.
Imagined him with a huge 80’s big hair band mop.
He has the right attitude, but not that kind of hair.
I hate when that happens. The truck still has a small oil leak, and I use Engine Restore 4 in it. I don't know if it helps, but at least there's oil in it when I take it in for an oil change!
*snort*
Some days, your dreams are weirder than mine. There are so many things on the budget for the month of February, I don’t know if I can squeeze in a trim or not, but my hair needs to be evened up a bit.
Ooohh...dey comes in pepper and — ginger! Floofs!
Good Morning. I woke up in the middle of the night needing a breathing treatment and I haven’t had to do that for a very long time. So that made me sleep in.
The wind is still blowing very hard, and the plastic I taped to the swap cooler vent is being ballooned out then sucked back and it sounds eerie. At least its not uncovered and putting all that draft in here.
I don’t know what I’ll do today outside of take that stuff to the thrift store, but they don’t open until 1000, so maybe I’ll get the bathroom things put together. That would be a good thing!
Good morning. I’m about to load up whoever is here and go to Weight Watchers. But first, I have to put up the blind so Jake will have Sunbeam in his bed.
Post haste is good.
Our client seems to want to have everything pre haste, which is quite a trick.
Good morning. Happy Monday The Return.
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