The Pentagon Wants to Make an Army of Virus-Spreading Insects. Scientists Are Concerned.

.livescience.com ^ | October 5, 2018 12:57pm ET | Brandon Specktor

[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."

[Tax-chick]

Pat has appeared. I’m going to take the van for an oil change in a few minutes. The place opens at 8:00.

[Monkey Face]

The oil change in the BB SUV didn’t happen this month, but it HAS to happen next month. So I’m cancelling my photo appointment.

Between the BB SUV and the birds, I’m going to be behind again. Still.

[Tax-chick]

Pets and cars are money pits. The van was supposed to have the oil change in August.

[Silentgypsy]

Maybe part Maine Coon with the ear hair?

[null and void]

[Tax-chick]

[Tax-chick]

Tom the Son would love that.

[Silentgypsy]

This photo’s just as cute if not even cuter than the last one!

[Silentgypsy]

My digital library doesn’t have any of his works. Will look elsewhere. Appreciate the suggestion.

[null and void]

The book referenced is ‘Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep’, the movie version is ‘Bladerunner’.

[NicknamedBob]

Consider this one, too:

Eye in the Sky.

[null and void]

An eye for an eye...

Eye in the sky

[NicknamedBob]

I think that follows a different story line.

[null and void]

Just finished the longest three days of my life. Only one more day of fasting to go...

[NoCmpromiz]

Eighteen years...

[NicknamedBob]

Congratulations! And Happy Anniversary!

My fifteenth will be in two days.

[NoCmpromiz]

Making a little money on the side? ;-)

[NoCmpromiz]

Yeah..

I go back to the days of Sore Loserman.. ;-)

[Tax-chick]

[Silentgypsy]

Ooooooh! I put two l’s in Philip the first time so the search didn’t locate anything. “Eye in the Sky” pulled more than twenty four volumes! Thanks, youse guys!