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 ...
What a pleasant coincidence! In many ways, cats in art and literature are more agreeable than cats in your house.
I’m sure it was a reminder that cats rule. I mean, you’re the one that sent it!
I’m doing quiet things now, like filing. The danger comes in being confused about what goes where. The Beast On My Back loves to interfere with things like that.
...unfortunately google maps won't reveal the corner's location.
Happy Tuesday that feels like a Monday, everyone.
Well, it feels like a Monday to me since I was off yesterday.
I hope everyone was properly presidential yesterday.
The best way you can be a friend to us, Face, is to take care of yourself.
That’s beautiful! I wonder what flowers...? They resemble lotus flowers, but maybe dahlias? They can’t be too sweet or kitteh wouldn’t be in them.
Thanks, ArGee. I have to take care of me because there is no one else to do the job. ;o]
I’ll just be guilty of having T-h-e S-l-o-w-s for a while, and hope no one has taken any speed reading courses. :o]
So precious—thank you!
We can dream, can’t we?
Annoying job? My friends’ remedy for that is to have so much fun on your time away from job that it puts it into perspective. After all, you’re doing worthwhile work and it does make vacations possible.
American ingenuity! (As potential consumer’s heart sinks.)
Someone recently said to me, “You love this work, don’t you?” I said, “Actually, I love fishing. But if I did that for a living I’d starve, so I do this.” He laughed and said he liked it, but that I probably shouldn’t say it at an interview.
I do say it at interviews. Work isn’t life. It’s how I pay for life. And if it’s annoying, I have to decide if it’s so annoying that it’s not worth the life it pays for.
You’re welcome.
Chrysanthemums.
Yeah!!! You distance yourself from it. It isn’t your identity, it’s what you do. And if you spend your real life studying to become better at it or studying to learn to do something else, you’re benefitting yourself, your family, your friends and your clients. The two highest accolades the people of my childhood neighborhood could ascribe to anyone were, “He/she studies hard,” and “He/she is tough,” implying resilience.
Those don’t look like any chrysanthemums I’ve ever seen, but then I haven’t seen them all!
"Buy Bulk Chrysanthemum Flowers from Herbco"
OK! Now I know. Thanks!
Work.
You're either doing something you enjoy, or you're doing something that other people want you to do. Either way is a blessing.
If you can find something you enjoy doing, that other people are willing to pay you to do, then you never have to work except for getting good at doing it.
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