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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: Tax-chick

Dry I can do. Warm - the building manager needs to stop making this floor a space for storing beef.


4,341 posted on 03/04/2019 6:51:47 AM PST by ArGee (I trust people with freedom more than I trust government with power.)
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To: ArGee; Monkey Face

That’s why we have coats.

Sally keeps bringing home “lunchables” equivalents from Starbucks “because they’d just go to waste, and think of the homeless people!” Only we don’t have any homeless people right to hand, so the brothers are eating them.

She went to school in her pajamas this morning because she hasn’t done laundry for two weeks.


4,342 posted on 03/04/2019 8:08:27 AM PST by Tax-chick (Please, SMOD, just make it all go away.)
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To: Tax-chick

Nice of Sally to think of the homeless. The Bowery Mission has arrangements with lots of food places in NYC to collect any foods that would otherwise be thrown away so they can serve the homeless.

People in NYC do things in their pajamas all the time, now. I don’t know about classes, and I don’t think they go to work, but grabbing a bagel and coffee, walking the dog, people in pajamas all the time.


4,343 posted on 03/04/2019 8:38:50 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; Covenantor; NicknamedBob; null and void; no-to-illegals; Silentgypsy; ...
Ready for the latest knee-slapper? I just saw this on the web.

What did socialists use before candles?

Electricity

Answer is above this line in white font. Select the white space to read it.

4,344 posted on 03/04/2019 9:51:33 AM PST by ArGee (I trust people with freedom more than I trust government with power.)
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To: ArGee

Heh, I knew it!


4,345 posted on 03/04/2019 10:03:51 AM PST by Tax-chick (Please, SMOD, just make it all go away.)
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To: ArGee

I’ll suggest she talk to her manager about a more useful disposition of the lunchable-type-things. Also various pastries. Maybe the Missionaries of the Poor or the Spanish Charitable Committee could get them to the needy before they spoil.

On the other, they’re not going to waste here ...


4,346 posted on 03/04/2019 10:08:07 AM PST by Tax-chick (Please, SMOD, just make it all go away.)
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To: Covenantor
the site doesn’t include information about the locomotive

I noticed that. I was looking for their roster info and it just isn't there. Found more info on the repository of all knowledge (a.k.a. Wikipedia) than from the website..

Looks like you get a decent ride - 45 miles or so. Since the closest I ever got to Durango was Denver on the company's dime I doubt I'll make it out there now that I am officially a seasoned citizen enjoying my retirement and paltry pension.. ;-)

Of course if I should get struck by lightning twice I'll know I'm about to win the lotto and I can dream them. (But I think that you have to buy a ticket to win - seems someone mentioned that minor item.)

4,347 posted on 03/04/2019 10:49:30 AM PST by NoCmpromiz (John 14:6 is a non-pluralistic comment.)
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To: ArGee

Have seen it before...never fails to get guffaws.

;)


4,348 posted on 03/04/2019 11:09:00 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: NoCmpromiz; Covenantor; ArGee; Monkey Face; Tax-chick
"... I'll know I'm about to win the lotto and I can dream them. (But I think that you have to buy a ticket to win - seems someone mentioned that minor item.)"

Buying a ticket doesn't actually improve your odds of winning by much.

4,349 posted on 03/04/2019 11:27:11 AM PST by NicknamedBob (If you can't do something well, you won't do anything good.)
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To: Tax-chick

Congratulations to Vlad!!

Laundry day is done, since I just put clean sheets on the bed. I could have done it earlier but I was (am) more concerned about getting into the old emails and retrieving as many as possible before they are deleted.

Lots of things I missed when Hotmail went to Outlook, but was too preoccupied to realized the changeover was why I was no longer getting emails from some people. I don’t know why I thought I wouldn’t be getting any more mail...but I did, and now, I need to retrieve as many as I can that are of interest to me, since its obviously a valid email account.

Chuck came over to inform me that I’ll be getting a new fridge tomorrow, and that makes me immensely happy! Now I can make ice cubes instead of buying so much bottled water! YAY!

When I cleaned the birdcage today, I moved it into the kitchen. I didn’t realize when I moved in that the cage was in line with the room air conditioner, and the one thing that will kill the little wuzzers is a draft. So they are out of the line of the breeze from the A/C.

My friend, Sharon dropped by this morning to see how I was. She said about a third of the Ward was out yesterday, so I guess I was in good company. I’m glad she didn’t stay because my voice was beginning to fail.


4,350 posted on 03/04/2019 11:46:11 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

LOL! Sally reminds me so much of my own daughter! “If your laundry isn’t in the hamper by Monday morning, don’t bother bringing it to me once the washer starts because it ain’t happening. I’m only washing once a week, ‘cuz all y’all ain’t payin’ me enough to do it more often!”

And guess who comes thumping out of her room when she hears the washer filling...?

The Brothers are always starving so Sally is doing them a service. ;o]


4,351 posted on 03/04/2019 11:51:13 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: ArGee

In Vegas, the folks that wear their pajamas on the bus and into the stores usually have their hair in rollers, and have slippers on their feet. Those folks are called “Walmartians!”


4,352 posted on 03/04/2019 11:53:06 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

Last time I went to the San Diego Wild Animal Park I took a picture of a bobcat.


4,353 posted on 03/04/2019 12:12:39 PM PST by ThomasThomas (Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.)
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To: ArGee

So what happened next in the tale?
Did the Caddis fly Xagthrath get irritated at suddenly being in a sauna?


4,354 posted on 03/04/2019 12:17:43 PM PST by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same.)
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To: ThomasThomas

Kathleen bought a stuffed bobcat at the Museum of York County, SC, last Friday.


4,355 posted on 03/04/2019 12:36:26 PM PST by Tax-chick (Please, SMOD, just make it all go away.)
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To: Monkey Face

Sounds like you’ve had a useful day and you’ll have a useful tomorrow as well. I need to make up a forestry quiz for Friday and email it to the team leader. But first, tea.


4,356 posted on 03/04/2019 12:38:27 PM PST by Tax-chick (Please, SMOD, just make it all go away.)
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To: Tax-chick

This bobcat had a special enclosure and was next to the caterpillar.


4,357 posted on 03/04/2019 1:07:13 PM PST by ThomasThomas (Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.)
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To: Darksheare

Thanks for the reminder. I have the next piece in my head. I’ll try to get it in the UT before we move (and before tomorrow, but that’s another hope).


4,358 posted on 03/04/2019 1:12:20 PM PST by ArGee (I trust people with freedom more than I trust government with power.)
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To: ThomasThomas

What kind of caterpillar?


4,359 posted on 03/04/2019 5:51:45 PM PST by Tax-chick (Please, SMOD, just make it all go away.)
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To: ArGee

The Xagthrath tried to figure out what to do. With the heat and the fan it was losing its grip on the outer layers of clothing. If the heat got all the way down it would die. It had nearly died once, long ago, outside in the sun, before it found the tunnels.

It considered jumping the biped, but it wasn’t sure the biped wouldn’t follow and it didn’t see anywhere to go once it was out in the open room. There was nothing there but bright light. No sign of any water it could use to maintain its temperature.

It was running out of time. It had to figure out where to go. Then it remembered the quadruped and looked behind the machines. There it was, a big hole.


I saw something come shooting out from beneath the pile. It actually looked like some kind of throw rug, but it was moving fast, behind the washing machines. It was going back in the direction the rat had come from.

I tried to follow, but there wasn’t much room back there. I grabbed a flashlight and shone it into the dark canyon. I could just see a bit of rug disappear into a hole, probably the one the rat had come through.

Decision time. Should I try to move the machines to follow the thing? Did it really matter if it was down there, somewhere, under the city eating rats? It wasn’t threatening me or the residents of my building any more.

I decided it didn’t. I decided I could live with it being out there as long as it wasn’t in here. I turned to pick up the now dry pile of clothes.

But somehow, in the back of my mind, I was sure I hadn’t seen the last of that thing.

THE END
For now.


4,360 posted on 03/04/2019 6:02:18 PM PST by ArGee (I trust people with freedom more than I trust government with power.)
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