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 ...
Vigorously concur.
Thank you!
Tappy Huesday!
Neither, actually. If they’re going to flood the markets with shoppers panicking over a lack of milk, the least they can do is let it snow.
Neither, actually. If they’re going to flood the markets with shoppers panicking over a lack of milk, the least they can do is let it snow.
Wow! Now I’ve got hundreds of little “Yippees” jumping up and down in my stomach! I can hardly wait!
:o])
Happy Monday the 2nd. Tomorrow is Monday Hump Day and the next day is Friday Eve, so we’re good! We’ll make it work!
It looks like I’ll have to go with Century link for my ISP and TV service, as there isn’t much else to choose from. According to what I see on the website, they allow streaming, and they should. So now all I have to do is call them and get a price. This is just plain tedious.
I’ll have to go to the USPS after Sharon leaves, because I need to mail this paperwork to St George. No I don’t want to drive there, thanks. I don’t want to drive to St George any more than I wanted to drive from Henderson to Vegas, and the mileage is almost exactly the same. Maybe a 5th of a mile off.
So I’ll get the stuff collated and into the envelope so it can go buh-bye.
CenturyLink is good, at least as a phone company.
And I’ve never had their Customer Support try to convince me of something that wasn’t so just to scare me.
BTW: It is now snowing. I guess there was reason to have people panic and run to the markets for eggs and milk. I can be glad it waited until after my commute in.
There isn’t much to choose from here, as one can have phone and internet, TV and phone or TV and internet, but not all three together. I just need TV and internet services.
I don’t know why I should have a landline. TDS is about as worthless a company as I’ve ever had the sad experience to do business with.
Afternoon. We went to the library and Walmart. Now I’ve made some sauce, and I’m about to bake the chicken in the sauce. Later, I’ll cook some noodles for the children to eat along with the chicken.
Sentence needs punctuation. Assuming you're not going to eat the children along with the chicken.
Yes.
This 'you're all gonna die' weather event has been singularly unspectacular. Maybe 2"-3" at most. Now it's depositing a layer of sealant (aka ice) on top.
Radar indicates that my Sister in MN still has snow and my Sister in OH has rain..
I could have placed subordinate clauses more gracefully.
I found some green beans in the refrigerator. I’ll cook those, too.
It wouldn’t be English without the opportunity for a well placed clause to introduce humor, or at least strangeness.
Green beans are good with chicken or noodles.
BTW: In case anyone was forgetting, nobody can prove Calvin had anything to do with the noodle incident.
It’s always safe to blame James for any incidents involving food.
Oh, give me a break. Hizzonner Werner Wilhelm, a.k.a. Bill de Blasio, is actually traveling to New Hampshire as he considers whether to run for President.
Seeing what he’s done to - er - for NYC, it’s scary to think of him in the White House.
I’m just wondering if Trump is musing about what to do after he finishes his second term. He might take on as a challenge how to do something about that stalled and stillborn rail project in California.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.