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 ...
!!
That’s cute!
I want one! LOL!
*tagline*
Happy Friday!
High is supposed to be in the 50s today, but rain.
I’ll take it.
Happy Friesday. We’re cleaning trash and assorted debris out of the van, because I volunteered to drive up to 13 church youth on an outing in a couple of weeks.
I need to go to Walmart: I’m out of apples.
The Ides of March or whatever
Frappy Hiday and have a great weekend, y’all!
Let them delude themselves. It makes them happy. Then, when we’re gone, they say, “Oops?”.
It is Friday, isn’t it? Its supposed to be clear and cold today. At least no wind is forecast.
Won’t the van automatically restore the trash and assorted debris during the interim? Jes’ axin’.
I’m sure more will accumulate, but this is a start. I’ll have it vacuumed and washed before the event.
Ah. Smart move! I need to clean out my truck, too, but I don’t want to go out in the cold. Not after the last two weeks.
The sun is actually shining into my living room! It won’t last long, I’m sure, but for now, I like it! Of course, the first year in any new place has revelations about where the sun will hit and when. This brightens up my life considerably! :o])
If the sun’s arrival in your living room is new, it will just get more prevalent as the year goes on. It’s overcast here, so Jake doesn’t have sun in his bed, but the window is open and he can imagine killing all the birds.
I succeeded in arranging some changes to the Spanish music schedule. That was a pleasant surprise. This weekend, I’ll try to get the dates assigned for June.
It is new because of the position of the sun as the earth heads for the Vernal Equinox. It won’t always show up, but it will in the late summer. :o] I like the sunshine coming in my windows. <3
We have a t-shirt with the Mount Rushmore presidents as a rock band. From the July 5 clearance rack at Walmart.
And good afternoon. How is England today?
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