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 ...
The normal schedule is I turn their lights on at 6:15, with a cheerful, “Wakey wakey! Rise and shine! Up and at ‘em, American youth!” and they’re supposed to be at the dinner table at 6:30. It’s 6:15 on DP’s alarm clock, which is fast, and 6:30 on the stove clock, so they actually get about 19 minutes. However, some days it’s not enough, and people are still lurking in the bathrooms. A day or two of being called at 6:00 gets them moving a little faster.
Ha-Ha! Good job! :o]
Must've been gas.
Good morning. Happy Monday III (or II for those who had President’s Day off).
The city is issuing dire warnings about the commute home. I may actually slip once or twice as I walk from the subway. Those who commute from Jersey will likely work remote today.
It’s a good thing you never have to threaten 0500 for a morning jog before breakfast.
I would like to have mandatory PT in the 5:30 time frame, but it would disturb DP, who rarely gets up before 6:00.
2 woids - “death march”.
We used to have those at El Rancho Cima when my son was doing the whole Scouting thing. There was one morning death march. The other two were evening of different lengths. If you went on a death march you got a special code word you could use at the canteen to purchase a special hat showing you’d been on one.
Those were the days.
I remember singing during one of the death marches, “If you ask, I’d be thinking I’d be in my tent and sleeping if I only had a brain.”
We have a kid in our Webelos den who is on a “death march” if he’s out of sight of the parking lot. It’s a nuisance.
Thank you for the hoverkitteh!
:D
Might be able to. What I own are boots (which I sometimes wear in and then change into my shoes) or rubber shoe covers. Today it’s the latter.
We’ve seen a pretty steady fall of white stuff since 11 so I hope the covers are cover enough.
It didn't start here until around 1330. The in/outdoor cats are not amused.
Got a text from the Pastor that Bible study tonight is cancelled due to travel warnings. And a text with photo from my Sister in Minnesota showing her 'manning' the snowblower in what looks like two feet of snow.. ;-)
Ice crampons?
Good kick weapons, one would think.
The trees here look like glass.
Too bad the moon isn’t out.
Think crampons would keep SkiFree yeti at bay?
I thought she was thinking of old style golf shoes...
Those would work on ice too.
Hobnail boots, but I haven’t seen a pair of those in years.
Thank you for all the soothing kittah pics. My apology for not having said thank you sooner. Prayers that all is well and good with you and yours
Pretty little Morning Floof!
Good morning.
There are 2” of snow on the ground and the temp will drop by the time I’m supposed to leave to make that drive. It’s about the same distance as Vegas was from Henderson but its all open highway and no traffic lights until I get into town. Which means I’d be driving at 65 mph in a snow storm.
I don’t want to drive with the windows open to keep the windshield clear of fog.
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