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 ...
Kitten was born on the street but landed in a good home, not without some struggles.
The Educational Outing with Exertion was nice. We went to the National Battlefield and saw the battlefield, and then we went to the adjacent South Carolina State Park, where we saw a historic farm. Frank was chased by a rooster.
My in-laws get calls telling them their Windows license has expired. My F-I-L says he doesn’t have a computer. They have no script for that.
He also gets calls asking him if he wants a new roof. He says he doesn’t live there.
If they aren’t from the U.S. they really don’t know what to do with stuff like that.
For a while there we lived pretty neer Gettysburg. But we never went to a re-enactment. We did a self-tour once.
I’ve been to Gettysburg a couple of times in my life, but not when they had reenactments. Kings Mountain has a living-history event in a couple of weeks; it’s just getting warm enough for the reenactors to enjoy camping out.
They can be pretty intimidating.
Remind Frank that there isn't all that much difference between a T. Rex and a rooster, in case he's ever curious about what a T. Rex might taste like.
It was a substantial rooster, and it didn’t show any aggression toward the rest of us. Frank must have irritated him.
Charlie was always complaining about getting calls saying his car warranty has expired. He gave up his car 10 years ago because the upkeep was more than he could afford. Right after I got here, I got a letter that told me the same thing. I sent it to Charlie and told him he didn’t have a monopoly on that stuff!!
I have three little scars on my left knee. Two on the inside and one on the outside because the cartilage under my kneecap was so damaged. The doctor just removed what was left and called it good. :o] I was laid up for two weeks, so I envy you!
A thing showed up on FB yesterday about someone calling about your SS# number and they wanted verification or they would stop the SS. I told LuDean that I would have asked which SS# it was because I had several, and which part needed verification.
I thought it was pretty sad, but even sadder is the fact that some people are ignorant enough to believe the SS can be stopped.
We went to several historic sites in VA when we lived there, and it was pretty cool, because my son had been learning about the Civil War just before we moved. There is so much to see, there!
North Carolina doesn’t have a major Civil War site, except Fort Fisher, a big sand fortification near Wilmington. There are more Revolutionary War sites not too far away; maybe we’ll get to others this spring.
Holy Talulah!
Don’t step on kitteh, no matter how confused you are by the carpet.
Some of us embrace others of us who are not entirely capable of taking care of themselves temporarily.
The Morning Floof is absolutely gorgeous! What a stuning color!!!
;oO
Good morning. The shower has been had and it wore me out. So the relapse is still with me. I had hoped it would go away with the awful Whatever I was fighting for 10 days.
Yesterday, I realized I need to move the black file in here, between the desk and the TV and put the file sorter on it. I also need a small file sorter for things I don’t use as much or as often as what’s in the big one.
My BRANE!!!
Time to make the bed.
Cats claim they don’t need us.
Except for food. Cats need food and a place to get Sunbeans where they won’t be bothered. ;o]
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