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 ...
Vogon poetry is bad with or without the babel fish..
That was me, 30 minutes ago! Squeeful floof!
Good morning. I didn’t feel too poorly when I went to bed but I didn’t sleep as well as I wanted to. However, its a new day and it’ll be as good as I make it!
I need to work on the slip the lady brought me yesterday. She has my number but she just pops in. Yesterday, she said, when she showed up at 0830, “I knew you’d be up!” I haven’t had so much company in 20 years! :o]
Maybe I’ll try to read some of that massive driver’s handbook. It irritates me: I’ve been driving for over 50 years, I follow the posted speed limits, I do all the things required, I’m a courteous driver, and they want me to have a test? I don’t think about the things I learned to do behind the wheel: I just do them automatically.
And that’s really silly...two days later, I’m irritated.
Good morning. I’m glad you’re feeling okay, if not as excellent as you could be.
Since you took the driver test, you know the sort of thing they’ll ask, now. Also, you can Google “UT Driver Test Questions” and probably find a site that goes over the most likely ones. We did that for NC when Elen was have trouble passing.
Speaking of Elen, USMC, she called last night and said she’s been promoted to PFC.
Thanks! I'll be sure to check out the questions. I mean, what have I got to lose?
When it gets light out, I'll get the sewing machine set up and put the DVD in again to find out what stitch to use for slick material. Now is the time for a Serger.
Thank you for the precious!
Pangalactic gargleblasters for all; we wanna forget.
Yay, Elen!
You’re welcome. Kitten lives in Singapore.
The power cord for the Singer has gone missing. I need to check on eBay for a replacement. I’ll have to tell Sharon so she can come and get her skirt until a new cord gets here.
And the Singer casing got scratched in the move. This has been The Move of my lifetime. I wanted to come here, but so much has been damaged and left behind.
But I won’t let it interfere with my goals. I’ll just take the bitter with the sweet! :o]
Bummer!
Good one!
And I can’t find my seam ripper which I need so I can reposition the pocket. So I’m off to Walmart! Dang!
We went to Costco. DP loves Costco, but it doesn’t do anything for me. Then we went to Petsmart and got a new cat bowl: I broke one a few days ago.
It’s trying to rain, here. I wondered why my back hurt so much and now I know! Of course, when I came out of Walmart I smelled the rain but it hadn’t begun by the time I came home.
I haven’t been to Costco since my daughter and her then husband took me on a massive shopping spree. For them. I wasn’t impressed.
There were some cute cats at Petsmart.
I really do want a cat...but I don’t think my lungs would agree. I’ll wait to see what this new stuff does to my lungs. If it works, I may reconsider. ;o]
And now, for my next trick, I’m going to the Blanket Show! See you in the morning!
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