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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: Monkey Face

I’m glad things turned out for the best. I’m arranging a trip to Walmart. Tom the Son has just arrived.


4,021 posted on 02/21/2019 11:43:47 AM PST by Tax-chick (They should have listened to Julian Simon.)
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To: Tax-chick

Thanks. The clinic called a while ago and rescheduled my appointment for the 27 at 0900, so hopefully, by then, the snow will be gone. I would hate to be any commuters from here, today. By quitting time, whatever slush is on the road will be ice and this is uphill from St G.


4,022 posted on 02/21/2019 11:51:42 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: Covenantor

Haha! One of these days, I’d like to try some of that coffee. I bet its good. ;o]


4,023 posted on 02/21/2019 11:53:59 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; Darksheare
"You were in artillery. What is the recommended way to stop a yeti?"

I'm hesitant to answer. My portion of the artillery was designed for more extreme measures.

Is taking out the mountain range considered overkill for the situation?

4,024 posted on 02/21/2019 12:36:24 PM PST by NicknamedBob (If you can't do something well, you won't do anything good.)
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To: NicknamedBob; Silentgypsy

Direct fire with a 105mm if you can pull it off.
I hear that they’re pretty fast though, so it would be tricky.


4,025 posted on 02/21/2019 1:24:53 PM PST by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same.)
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To: Covenantor
"Black Rifle Coffee Company rep."

I like that he has that "thousand dinner-bowl stare".

4,026 posted on 02/21/2019 1:45:50 PM PST by NicknamedBob (If you can't do something well, you won't do anything good.)
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To: Tax-chick; Monkey Face

Elko, NV..

Just up the road a piece from where my Father was born - considering that ‘up the road a piece’ in NV is still a rather long ways..

All that’s left of the town he was born in are a couple of uninhabitable shacks and a lot of abandoned mine shafts..


4,027 posted on 02/21/2019 2:49:00 PM PST by NoCmpromiz (John 14:6 is a non-pluralistic comment.)
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To: NoCmpromiz

There’s a lot of that in Nevada.


4,028 posted on 02/21/2019 2:57:34 PM PST by Tax-chick (They should have listened to Julian Simon.)
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To: NicknamedBob

LOL!


4,029 posted on 02/21/2019 3:23:14 PM PST by Covenantor (Men are ruled...by liars who refuse them news, and by fools who cannot govern. " Chesterton)
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To: NicknamedBob; Covenantor

“Cats.” he said uncomfortably, “They snuck through the dog door at night. Took out Roscoe our scout Chihuahua before we knew they were there, just slapped him silly with those wicked scythe like claws. Then they got on the counters and..and..”
He teared up, stammered, then broke, “They pushed everything off the counter! Onto the floor, everything! Crash! Smash, tinkle tinkle! It was horror a thousand fold!”


4,030 posted on 02/21/2019 4:02:31 PM PST by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same.)
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To: Darksheare; Covenantor

And of course the “counselor” will speak with a German accent and wear spectacles. Would a lab coat be too much?


4,031 posted on 02/21/2019 6:21:35 PM PST by NicknamedBob (If you can't do something well, you won't do anything good.)
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To: NicknamedBob; Covenantor

The counselor also would have him repeat things due to being distracted as well.
“Sorry, I could have sworn I saw a ball over there. Do continue.”


4,032 posted on 02/21/2019 6:26:11 PM PST by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same.)
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To: Darksheare

Could be orchestrated as a series of flashbacks. We see the end of the world as confusing, ground-level black and white images.


4,033 posted on 02/21/2019 6:44:53 PM PST by NicknamedBob (If you can't do something well, you won't do anything good.)
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To: NicknamedBob

“There I was minding my own business when this hovering bastard flew down the corridor at me like the devil hisself!” the young soldier in quarantine was obviously quite traumatized, his retelling the details leading to his current condition had been feverish and disjointed up to this point.
He did achieve frightening clarity every time he discussed his assailant.
“The floor shook, the lights trembled and flickered, I swear it!”
His skin had the telltale silvery patches indicating first stage smart dust infection, he kept subconsciously scratching at them.
“That’s not the weirdest part. He split into three on his way to my post!”
Stress and trauma could account for some of the statements, but with the presentation of smart dust infection the possibility of cohesive floating decoys was considered.
“I tried to shoot, to do something. Anything. How did he move that fast? All three of him we’re on me before I.”
He trailed off, at every interview he trailed off at this point.
It was ascribed to the mind trying to forget the trauma, to write in something more acceptable.
All interviews beyond this point noted how the tone shifted as if switching from memory to reading from notes.


4,034 posted on 02/21/2019 8:41:12 PM PST by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same.)
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To: ArGee

It’s safe to say that none of us started the yeti. However, we might be stuck with the mop-up operation. You know how that goes.


4,035 posted on 02/21/2019 8:50:35 PM PST by Silentgypsy ( “If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.”__Scorpion)
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To: Covenantor

Wow, they’re cute!


4,036 posted on 02/21/2019 8:51:45 PM PST by Silentgypsy ( “If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.”__Scorpion)
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To: NicknamedBob

It depends. Which mountain range?


4,037 posted on 02/21/2019 8:53:24 PM PST by Silentgypsy ( “If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.”__Scorpion)
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To: Darksheare; NicknamedBob

I just spent about 5 minutes trying to figure out where one would get a slow 105mm. Time for beddy-bye. Sweet dreams!


4,038 posted on 02/21/2019 9:01:45 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

The only ones I’d be willing to sacrifice probably don’t have any yetis.

For example, the Franklin Mountains are like the toe of a boot holding down the Western edge of Texas. The only folks who would be put out are the ones who put the radio antennas up there.


4,039 posted on 02/21/2019 9:06:52 PM PST by NicknamedBob (If you can't do something well, you won't do anything good.)
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To: Silentgypsy; NicknamedBob

Hmm.
It’s mounted on the back of a giant landsnail!


4,040 posted on 02/21/2019 9:35:56 PM PST by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same.)
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