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 get definite messages from the pets, too.
I’ve gotten messages from the dogs and cats in my life, but this is a first for birds. Especially Gonzo. I’m thinking he was batted at before I got them, so the male “owner” could catch Beaker to trim her beak. Its got to be absolutely heavy for that little bird.
At least she has grown and put on weight since I got them and that’s always good. She was so small I thought she was a juvenile.
But Gonzo is the one who is most expressive.
*tagline*
Good point.
I like your tagline better! LOL!
It’s from a news article ;-).
It sounds like something involving your four oldest offspring! LOL!
That, too.
:o])
It’s been one of those days so far, know what I mean?
That’s odd. It’s the same kind of day, here. I see now why I failed the 25 question driver’s test, yesterday. That’s evidently when it started.
Good luck with the things you have planned and take extra care.
I just found some chocolate raspberry cocoa (Land O’ Lakes, my favorite!) and will have it after I have another cup of that healing tea. I had to buy more honey, so the cocoa was in the same aisle and yelled at me!
Oh, indeed! I had a year's worth of them, last year.
After lunch, I think we’ll all huddle in the sunshine in the living room and read the soil manual.
A much better solution than other things that could be done with the soil manual. ;o]
I’ve considered whomping some boys upside the head with the soil manual.
OK. That makes one more use!
It is not necessary to whomp boys upside the head with the soil manual to render them unconscious. You just have them sit on the sofa in the sunshine and read it to them, pleasantly.
This information may be useful to someone else someday.
That could be considered a form of torture in some households. :o]
*scary voice*
Nooooobody expects the science inquisition!
Better than Vogon poetry.
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