The Pentagon Wants to Make an Army of Virus-Spreading Insects. Scientists Are Concerned.

.livescience.com ^ | October 5, 2018 12:57pm ET | Brandon Specktor

[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."

[Silentgypsy]

Thank you!

[Tax-chick]

50-ish here, I think. I just got back from dropping Pat off at school and going to Walmart. Drama Queen had too much excitement over the weekend and has declared an illness today. Who knows, maybe she’s actually poorly. One of the problems with being a malingerer is that nobody believes in your potential real illness.

[Tax-chick]

It looked to me like the cut direct.

[Silentgypsy]

What’s a cut direct?

[Tax-chick]

The “cut direct” is when you publicly, obviously ignore or fail to reply to someone to whom you would ordinarily have been civil. It’s a mortal insult, grounds for a duel.

Unless you’re a dog of extraordinary breeding.

[ArGee]

Good morning. Mopy Handay!

Warm today. It’s currently 48. I’m sure it feels colder in LA.

I’m fighting a cold.

[ArGee]

w00t!

[Tax-chick]

Good morning. It’s a sunny Monday here. It’s 63, according our weather report, and it’s 49 in Twentynine Palms, CA.

[null and void]

Snowing here.

[Monkey Face]

Good morning. The day has hardly started and I feel like I “been rode hard and put away wet.” All I want is a hot breffus and a rubdown for my akin back.

Now, I’ll go back to spelling class. ;o]

[Tax-chick]

I get the impression it was Monday all over the world!

[NicknamedBob]

"I get the impression it was Monday all over the world!"

Never for more than an instant.

If you stand at the very top of the world, the geographic axis we call the North Pole, and hold your arms out to greet the distant sun, you will have morning on one hand and evening on the other.

[NoCmpromiz]

The snow here. It’s melting.

[NoCmpromiz]

Been there.. ;-)

[null and void]

Surgery in 10 hours 13 minutes..

Not that I’m counting the minutes...

[Tax-chick]

Best wishes for an uncomplicated and successful operation!

[null and void]

Thank you. The other knee was uneventful and forgettable.

[Tax-chick]

[Silentgypsy]

Thank you—gorgeous little face!

[Monkey Face]

I bet you got the Groggies today, at least for a while. One knee was enough for me. The other still needs to be done (since 1985) but I just avoid stairs as much as possible. :o]

Here’s to speedy healing for you!