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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: Sawdring

3,400. Come back in a week or so for -000! Would you like to be on the Morning Kitteh ping list, so you don’t lose us?


3,401 posted on 01/31/2019 2:00:46 PM PST by Tax-chick (Cats.)
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To: Monkey Face

I have faux fur on the hood of my Big Coat, too. Or maybe it’s real. I think it’s rabbit.

I’ve made a chicken casserole. It will be ready in about 20 minutes.


3,402 posted on 01/31/2019 2:06:29 PM PST by Tax-chick (Alcohol was involved.)
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To: Tax-chick

Being that was my first reply on this thread, I will wait for someone else to get that honor!


3,403 posted on 01/31/2019 2:26:40 PM PST by Sawdring
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To: Sawdring

Don’t worry about it. We don’t stand on ceremony around here.

Joe Ceremony’s so short it doesn’t help much to stand on him anyway.


3,404 posted on 01/31/2019 2:30:47 PM PST by ArGee (I trust people with freedom more than I trust government with power.)
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To: Sawdring; Dead Corpse
"Boom, 4k!"

At least you got a double zero, which earns you a W00t!

This is the dubious and distant offspring of The Undead Thread, which gave us this:

To: tuliptree76

Last Post

65,534 posted on 12/31/2004 11:44:42 AM EST by Dead Corpse (Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt.)
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3,405 posted on 01/31/2019 2:54:44 PM PST by NicknamedBob (If you can't do something well, you won't do anything good.)
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To: Sawdring

Nobody would hold it against you.


3,406 posted on 01/31/2019 3:06:53 PM PST by Tax-chick (Alcohol was involved.)
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To: Tax-chick

Seconds later:
Explosions, shouting, “cursing in cuneiform”, and soft jazz are heard from the kitchen as ethereal energies are tossed back and forth in a duel.
“It was just supposed to be hot chocolate!”
“A nethergate opened inside the packet!”


3,407 posted on 01/31/2019 8:55:47 PM PST by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same.)
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To: Darksheare

“That’ll teach you to celebrate Hot Cocoa Day without asking Great Java’s permission!”


3,408 posted on 02/01/2019 2:20:31 AM PST by Tax-chick (Alcohol was involved.)
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To: Tax-chick; fanfan; ColdOne; Cyber Liberty; null and void; Anoreth; Monkey Face; ...

3,409 posted on 02/01/2019 2:23:01 AM PST by Tax-chick (Alcohol was involved.)
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To: Tax-chick

Rattling and deep bass laughing from Great Java?
Almost like a giant classic percolator?


3,410 posted on 02/01/2019 2:26:01 AM PST by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same.)
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To: Darksheare

With a few ball bearings in the basket, for extra resonance.


3,411 posted on 02/01/2019 2:27:31 AM PST by Tax-chick (Alcohol was involved.)
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To: Tax-chick

Mamacat got gypped. Dat baby gotz no teef.


3,412 posted on 02/01/2019 3:08:22 AM PST by Silentgypsy ( “If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.”__Scorpion)
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To: Tax-chick; Darksheare; NicknamedBob; ArGee

Tiny floof says “Me hiding from cocoa splody fings!”

Good morning. The Muppet Birds are singing their little hearts out, just like they do every morning to welcome the day that hasn’t shown up yet. Maybe they think it will hurry if they sing the song of their people.


3,413 posted on 02/01/2019 3:19:13 AM PST by Monkey Face (If you're on the right path it will always be uphill. ~~ Henry B Eyring ~~)
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To: Tax-chick; Darksheare

Lol! Like the good old days!


3,414 posted on 02/01/2019 4:29:37 AM PST by Silentgypsy ( “If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.”__Scorpion)
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To: Silentgypsy

Must be from his dad’s side.


3,415 posted on 02/01/2019 4:46:14 AM PST by Tax-chick (Alcohol was involved.)
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To: Tax-chick; Monkey Face; NicknamedBob; NoCmpromiz; null and void; no-to-illegals; Silentgypsy; ...

Happy Friday, all!

We woke up to a day that was 4x warmer than yesterday. Call out the Climate Warriors.

Oh, wait, it was 3 Fs yesterday and 12 Fs this morning.

I guess it’s not time to panic, yet.


3,416 posted on 02/01/2019 4:50:19 AM PST by ArGee (I trust people with freedom more than I trust government with power.)
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To: ArGee

Yes, it is Friday! To be celebrated for sure because it’s the beginning of a new month. Time flies...

It’s trying to be “warmer” here with a current temp of 39° and it looks as if the weather foregnosticators are sayin we will top out at 61° today. When I’m in bed.


3,417 posted on 02/01/2019 4:55:14 AM PST by Monkey Face (If you're on the right path it will always be uphill. ~~ Henry B Eyring ~~)
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To: Monkey Face

You get up too early for the Muppet Birds.


3,418 posted on 02/01/2019 5:04:38 AM PST by Tax-chick (Alcohol was involved.)
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To: ArGee

But what if tomorrow is 4x warmer (in Fs) and the next day is 4x warmer than that? You’re all gonna die!!!

I’ll miss you.


3,419 posted on 02/01/2019 5:10:14 AM PST by Tax-chick (Alcohol was involved.)
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To: Tax-chick

Oddly enough, they started it. I heard them talking. Well, yelling in bird-speak that it was time for me to take their blanket off so they can welcome the day properly.

(Have I lived alone too long?)


3,420 posted on 02/01/2019 5:27:17 AM PST by Monkey Face (If you're on the right path it will always be uphill. ~~ Henry B Eyring ~~)
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