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The Pentagon Wants to Make an Army of Virus-Spreading Insects. Scientists Are Concerned.
.livescience.com ^ | October 5, 2018 12:57pm ET | Brandon Specktor

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 ...


TOPICS: Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: aphids; boycethompson; cornelluniversity; crispr; darpa; hurricaneutah; insectallies; ithaca; molassesmiasma; monkeyfacerules; newyork; nithaca; ohio; ohiostate; pennstate; pennsylvania; texas; undead; undeadthread; undeadthreadhere; uoftexasataustin; workingdogs
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To: NicknamedBob; Tax-chick; ArGee; NoCmpromiz; Dead Corpse; Covenantor; LibreOuMort; Silentgypsy; ...

I just got the news that I am a G-G-Ma for the 5th time!! I don’t recall all his names, just that they will call him “Henry” for now! So far, on one picture, and its not a very good one. His mom was in the way!

</Brag


3,941 posted on 02/19/2019 10:33:03 AM PST by Monkey Face (My pet rock isn't doing very well today. I think it's stoned. ~~ FB ~~)
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To: HKMk23

Ping to 3941!


3,942 posted on 02/19/2019 10:34:04 AM PST by Monkey Face (My pet rock isn't doing very well today. I think it's stoned. ~~ FB ~~)
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To: Monkey Face

*tagline*


3,943 posted on 02/19/2019 10:41:07 AM PST by Monkey Face (If you have half a mind to do something it would be wise to consult the other half before acting.)
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To: Silentgypsy

There is a reshuffle going on in the management.


3,944 posted on 02/19/2019 10:51:03 AM PST by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same.)
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To: NicknamedBob

I do things where people care about the results more than the money they pay me, and I care about the money more than the time and effort I’m giving them.

Win/win.


3,945 posted on 02/19/2019 11:18:59 AM PST by ArGee (I trust people with freedom more than I trust government with power.)
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To: Darksheare

In my experience, when management is reshuffled, workers pay.


3,946 posted on 02/19/2019 12:08:41 PM PST by ArGee (I trust people with freedom more than I trust government with power.)
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To: Monkey Face

Congratulations to little Henry, to you, and to all the generations in between!

I had a nice nap with Jake, and now I’m back with the living, ready to work on cooking events, beginning with a perennial favorite, chopping onions.


3,947 posted on 02/19/2019 12:31:20 PM PST by Tax-chick (They should have listened to Julian Simon.)
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To: BenLurkin

That army is already here. They call them Democrats and muslims.


3,948 posted on 02/19/2019 12:36:51 PM PST by sport
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To: ArGee
"I do things where people care about the results more than the money they pay me, and I care about the money more than the time and effort I’m giving them."

The next step is to find ways to enjoy the time you spend at work, simply because you spend so much time there.

This is a tricky aspect, but it's related to "Smile! It makes people wonder what you're up to."

3,949 posted on 02/19/2019 12:56:04 PM PST by NicknamedBob (If you can't do something well, you won't do anything good.)
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To: ArGee

Yes.
And we’ve already paid enough from bad management.


3,950 posted on 02/19/2019 1:16:19 PM PST by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same.)
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To: Darksheare

Bad management ... the gift that keeps on giving.


3,951 posted on 02/19/2019 2:19:19 PM PST by ArGee (I trust people with freedom more than I trust government with power.)
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To: Monkey Face

Stolen..


3,952 posted on 02/19/2019 2:31:39 PM PST by NoCmpromiz (John 14:6 is a non-pluralistic comment.)
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To: ArGee

Oh yes, and we’ve had more than our fair share of it.


3,953 posted on 02/19/2019 2:31:53 PM PST by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same.)
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To: Monkey Face

Yeah!


3,954 posted on 02/19/2019 6:20:45 PM PST by null and void (If socialism is so grand, why are Guatemalans coming here instead of going to Venezuela?)
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To: Darksheare

This too shall pass.


3,955 posted on 02/19/2019 9:55:07 PM PST by Silentgypsy ( “If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.”__Scorpion)
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To: Silentgypsy; fanfan; ColdOne; Cyber Liberty; null and void; Tax-chick; Anoreth; Monkey Face; ...

3,956 posted on 02/20/2019 2:18:41 AM PST by Tax-chick (They should have listened to Julian Simon.)
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To: null and void; Tax-chick; ArGee; NicknamedBob; NoCmpromiz; Darksheare; HKMk23; moose07

Update:

Henry Thaddeus
7#, 20.5”
Entered the world at 0858 February 19 2019.

The second pic showed him on his tummy in the newborn crib, and he looked like a real baby!!! <3

Sadly, I’ve only met one of my Greats, and I don’t know if I’ll ever get to meet the other four. Two plus this one in OR and two in ID.


3,957 posted on 02/20/2019 3:29:28 AM PST by Monkey Face (If you have half a mind to do something it would be wise to consult the other half before acting.)
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To: Tax-chick

Look! It’s the morning floof! Looking all floofy and squeeable!

Good morning. I’ve had my shower and answered an email, printed out another email, found that I’ve been approved for an energy grant but denied for SNAP benefits, pending “proof.”

I’ll call them today and find out what more they need. One thing is for sure. When I change ISPs, I’ll make sure to get a landline so I can hook up the printer/fax/copier, which will eliminate a lot of time and aggravation. Today is the day I’ll make that call.

It wasn’t so important in Hooterville because I could go to the UPS Store and fax from there. They don’t have one here and I need to be able to send things to the agencies. They want a lot more documentation here, for some reason.

Now I’m going to go take the steroid and make the bed.


3,958 posted on 02/20/2019 3:39:42 AM PST by Monkey Face (If you have half a mind to do something it would be wise to consult the other half before acting.)
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To: Monkey Face

Good morning. Kitteh is happy to see you! It’s cold and rainy here. When I’m finished breakfast, I’ll go boot the Youth out of bed for the second time.

There were some delayed arrivals this morning, so they’ll be called earlier tomorrow.


3,959 posted on 02/20/2019 4:22:42 AM PST by Tax-chick (They should have listened to Julian Simon.)
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To: Tax-chick
...There were some delayed arrivals this morning, so they’ll be called earlier tomorrow.

LOL! I like the way you think!

3,960 posted on 02/20/2019 4:36:01 AM PST by Monkey Face (If you have half a mind to do something it would be wise to consult the other half before acting.)
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