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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: Darksheare; ArGee

Thank you!


4,201 posted on 02/27/2019 5:50:27 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; ArGee

Welcome!
Was rather surprised I still had it.
Thought much of that was gone a drive swap ago.


4,202 posted on 02/27/2019 7:11:24 PM PST by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same.)
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To: Darksheare; ArGee; Tax-chick; NoCmpromiz; Monkey Face; Silentgypsy
"Attack of the cat -by Argee and Darksheare 12 Feb 2013"

... which was a Tuesday, because 2013 equals 2019. There are only fourteen calendars, but every year we buy "new" ones.

4,203 posted on 02/27/2019 8:12:50 PM PST by NicknamedBob (If you can't do something well, you won't do anything good.)
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To: NicknamedBob; ArGee; Tax-chick; NoCmpromiz; Monkey Face; Silentgypsy

“Hurry! If we don’t get there in time they’ll be sold out!” the plaintive teenage voice cut through the daydream in the most annoying of ways.
“It’s not the end of the world you know.”
“But dad, you know I’m on the monthly plan!”
“One day without that device won’t kill you.”
The lip quivered.
“Dad? Didn’t you read the fine print? If. If. If we don’t buy a new month, I’ll be terminated.”
“So your device will be shut off, no worries.”
“No dad. It’s in the fine print. I will be terminated. It’s an agreement to ensure customers pay their balance on time! It’s supposed to deter late payments!”
“You’re pulling my leg.” he couldn’t believe such a contract could exist let alone be legal.
“Dad, hurry! We have to purchase another month!”
He rolled his eyes at the teen angst, he didn’t see what the big deal was.
They eventually arrived at the calendar shop, he thought that was a laugh, and watched his teen rush inside in a panic.
He stifled a chuckle and walked in.
“But I’m here, I can buy another month! I still have twelve hours of February left!” he heard his child protest.
“I’m sorry, but we’re fresh out of March.” the cashier cheerily stated.
The tears began, “B-but I had plans for Saturday! I need that month!”
“If you’d upgraded to our year or decade plan when it was offered, I might be able to help. I’m sorry.” still cheerful, but beckoning to the store manager.
“I don’t see why you would have to change your plans just because your mobile has no more time.” he tried dadding the situation, and then felt hands pulling him aside.
“Sir, CalendarCo policy is for those who don’t purchase another month will be terminated. Please stand over here.”
“What do you mean, we’ll just wait until more become available.”
“Sir, when you run out of time you have no more time. I’m sorry, we will liquidate your child in twelve hours. Please don’t resist. And remember, keep all your time with CalendarCo.”
Then he noticed the kill droids hovering around them.


4,204 posted on 02/27/2019 10:03:55 PM PST by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same.)
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To: NicknamedBob; Darksheare; ArGee; Tax-chick; Monkey Face; Silentgypsy
but every year we buy "new" ones.

Why of course.

They have new pictures...

4,205 posted on 02/27/2019 10:25:43 PM PST by NoCmpromiz (John 14:6 is a non-pluralistic comment.)
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To: Tax-chick; fanfan; ColdOne; Cyber Liberty; null and void; Anoreth; Monkey Face; ...

4,206 posted on 02/28/2019 2:21:31 AM PST by Tax-chick (Please, SMOD, just make it all go away.)
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To: Darksheare; ArGee

Hmmm...I missed that. And I don’t understand why. Must have been one of those times when I was without the interwebs.


4,207 posted on 02/28/2019 2:40:11 AM PST by Monkey Face (As an adult, any "free time" you have is actually just you procrastinating.~~ Kara Whitworth ~~)
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To: Tax-chick

Squeeful little Morning Floof. And a Basement Cat at that!

Good morning. I couldn’t believe I could be so tired and still function by the time I got home yesterday. But I had forgotten when CFIDS/ME was new, and I had to walk a mile to and from the bus stop, every day. Unngh! I all came back to me in the space of two minutes.

The optometrist is today and with luck, when I get back, I’ll start looking for a badly needed dentist. Perhaps some of the fatigue of yesterday was because of relief that the prescriptions are now available. That was a big worry for me.

Of course, today’s visit means I can get the cataract removed “soon” and then the dental appointment...


4,208 posted on 02/28/2019 2:53:04 AM PST by Monkey Face (As an adult, any "free time" you have is actually just you procrastinating.~~ Kara Whitworth ~~)
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To: Tax-chick; Monkey Face; Silentgypsy; Darksheare; null and void; ArGee

4,209 posted on 02/28/2019 4:29:12 AM PST by Covenantor (Men are ruled...by liars who refuse them news, and by fools who cannot govern. " Chesterton)
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To: Covenantor

Do you ever think that Kim Jong Il’s hairdresser is channeling Chairman Mao’s?


4,210 posted on 02/28/2019 5:50:54 AM PST by Silentgypsy ( “If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.”__Scorpion)
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To: Covenantor

Ah, yes. The Giant Leap Backwards inventor.


4,211 posted on 02/28/2019 5:50:56 AM PST by Monkey Face (As an adult, any "free time" you have is actually just you procrastinating.~~ Kara Whitworth ~~)
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To: Tax-chick

“What haz been seen cannot be unseen.”


4,212 posted on 02/28/2019 5:57:07 AM PST by Silentgypsy ( “If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.”__Scorpion)
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To: Darksheare

You do chilling very well.


4,213 posted on 02/28/2019 6:05:28 AM PST by Silentgypsy ( “If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.”__Scorpion)
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To: NoCmpromiz; NicknamedBob

Yep, we buy them for the pictures.


4,214 posted on 02/28/2019 6:06:35 AM PST by Silentgypsy ( “If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.”__Scorpion)
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To: ArGee; Tax-chick; Monkey Face; no-to-illegals; NoCmpromiz; NicknamedBob; Darksheare; moose07; ...

G’orning, y’all!


4,215 posted on 02/28/2019 6:09:02 AM PST by Silentgypsy ( “If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.”__Scorpion)
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To: Darksheare; Silentgypsy

Obviously, I was a little more fun in 2013. I don’t even remember working on it.

But I’m glad it’s not lost in the ether.


4,216 posted on 02/28/2019 6:18:11 AM PST by ArGee (I trust people with freedom more than I trust government with power.)
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To: Darksheare; NicknamedBob; Tax-chick; NoCmpromiz; Monkey Face; Silentgypsy

If you can prove when that was written, you should be able to get some money from that JT movie. I can’t remember the name of it, but the upshot was the wealthy could buy more time and live, essentially, forever, but the poor just died when their clocks ran out.


4,217 posted on 02/28/2019 6:20:45 AM PST by ArGee (I trust people with freedom more than I trust government with power.)
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To: Tax-chick; Monkey Face; NicknamedBob; NoCmpromiz; null and void; no-to-illegals; Silentgypsy; ...

It appears to be Friday Eve.

Enjoy the day, all.


4,218 posted on 02/28/2019 6:21:45 AM PST by ArGee (I trust people with freedom more than I trust government with power.)
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To: Darksheare

Every day could be your last ...


4,219 posted on 02/28/2019 6:34:50 AM PST by Tax-chick (Please, SMOD, just make it all go away.)
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To: Monkey Face

It takes time to get everything in place, and we all know how chancy time can be.


4,220 posted on 02/28/2019 6:35:32 AM PST by Tax-chick (Please, SMOD, just make it all go away.)
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