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 ...
Floofy sleepy fing. It look like the exterior of a furry sleeping bag.
Good morning.
That was obviously me this morning. It was after 1800 when I finally got to sleep, but it was worth it.
And of all things, I slept four hours in a row. Now I’m going to take a shower.
It’s supposed to rain again today.
I was rousted out at 0500 by a cat fight. Jake is a royal pain. It’s not enough for him to be in and out of the bedroom: now he bangs on the bathroom door so he can go in there and beat up the bath mat.
I don’t know what the forecast is here. Whatever it is will land on me eventually.
Your weather is cloudy, 0% chance of rain (at the moment) with a high of 58° and a low of 33°. Currently, according to the Beeber of ‘Face, you’re experiencing a balmy 45°.
The shower has been had, and now, I’m contemplating what to do after I make the bed. One thing I’ll do is polish up some silver jewelry and then clean the recliner with saddle soap, since there may be a donee for it. But I have time. The problem is what to put it on to avoid drips on the carpet. Hmmm... Maybe the chair mat from in front of the desk...
Maybe Jake beating up on the bathmat is actually Jake trying to catch those “Things” that live under it. The late PV did that with any small rug in his path.
I think Jake just wants to be annoying. At least he’ll get some Sunbeam today.
I made an appointment with the optometrist yesterday, but had no luck with the doctor’s offices. I’ll try again this morning, because I really need a referral for the pain clinic.
I don’t know how long all that will take, but if the optometry appointment is two weeks out, I should be able to figure that’s about the norm and not expect an appointment any time sooner.
Happy Monday III, everyone.
The wet stuff has stopped falling and the sun is shining. Most sidewalks are clear, although the slush at the corners will be around for a few hours.
That must be because of life in the city. When we had snow over Sunday night, it didn't even stick to the sidewalks, much less in the corners.
It was cold enough for the snow, followed by freezing rain and sleet, to stick. There are laws about how soon after the end of the fall the sidewalks must be cleared. The building supers are inconsistent about how well they follow these laws.
In any case, the plows push the gunk to the sides of the roads. The supers shovel the gunk to the sides of the sidewalk. The two sets of gunk merge. Some of the merged gunk will melt and run and form slushy pools (swamps, lakes, it depends) around the gunk that's already formed at the corners.
There have been times when it's safer to go away from the corners and try to step over the piles between the cars because those lakes are so large. Trendy women's boots these days look like what we used to call waders when I was young - but with fancy designs on them. You can step in slush up to mid-calf in those things. Men aren't wearing them - yet.
At least not the men you know. ;o]
Awwwww—thank you!
G’orning!
Hi. Hawaiya?.
Occasionally vertical. How are things going in your neck of the woods?
Woods? Do we call the 1 million trees NYC initiative a woods?
All is well, except the insane politics, of course. But we try to muddle through.
Mrs. ArGee’s best friend’s daughter just told them she’s separating from her husband. After some poking around they found out their daughter had had an affair with a married man (not to her) about a year and a half ago. Mrs. ArGee is feeling for her friend.
I think we were talking yesterday about the cost of being nice. The cost of weeping with those who weep is equally high.
I’m very sorry to hear that, ArGee. People do so many stupid things that cause needless pain to everyone around them.
It’s always sad to see a family breaking up, whatever the reason.
True, dat.
I think the parents are at least somewhat relieved she had an affair with a male. Her fakebook page gave them reason to wonder about her - ah - preferences.
The fun side? The clean side?
On Jonah Goldberg’s recent podcast, his producer Jack said you can go through the whole Star Wars oeuvre, and each time you find “the Force,” you can substitute “the plot” without losing meaning. “Use the plot, Luke!”
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.