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."

[Monkey Face]

:waving:

I’m back! The bed has to be made and the sleep shirts have to be hung up, but they will have to wait until my back hurts less...about 30 minutes from the last morphine. (Godsend medication for me!)

Outside of the medical appointment, there is nothing else going on today. Or even the week. So maybe I can actually get busy on studying the Utah Driver Handbook. Maybe I’ll even learn enough to pass the test!

On my last trip to Wally’s I looked for puzzle books and found — nothing. This Walmart has NO good magazines (two racks, 4’ wide and 4’ tall) and one rack of books. I would ask what folks do on cold winter days and or nights, but from the size of the baby and children’s departments, the query has been answered.

Hopefully, I can squeeze enough from the food budget on payday to get a subscription to a puzzle mag...like Penny Press, Variety Puzzle Books. I can’t do laundry without them!!

[Tax-chick]

I took Shannon to the vet this morning. She’s lost weight, which is good. I think it’s because she has so many boxes to roost in, which distracts her from eating.

Is there a Dollar Tree or something like that? They usually have puzzle books.

[ArGee]

Greetings backatcha.

Thank you for that very quick and helpful explanation.

So, the same problem as has always existed. Once people taste power they crave more, and the way to get it is to take it away from the people. We’re seeing the same here.

I hope it can sort itself out peaceably. I fear it can’t. (I’m thinking about our side of the pond when I say that.)

[ArGee]

Good morning.

How can it possibly be Monday already? I’m hearing the Psycho shower music as I live the short horror story posted yesterday.

Ah, well. At least there won’t be Mondays in heaven.

Will there?

[Monkey Face]

Yes, there is a Dollar Tree, but I wasn’t checking for magazines when I’ve been in there. However, if I can afford a bulk package from Penny-Dell, I can get 10-40 magazines for not a lot of money. Sometimes, its cheaper to order them online.

I used to buy boxes of them, back in the day, but I haven’t even checked them, lately. Wait a sec while I do that... Right now, they have 16 Variety mags for $17.95 plus S&H. That would keep me busy for a long time!

They even have Value Packs for kids!

[Monkey Face]

Never having been to heaven, I can’t answer that.

So Happy Monday! :o])

[Tax-chick]

Monday won’t last forever.

[null and void]

Feels more like Moanday.

[Silentgypsy]

Looks just like my godkitten!

[Silentgypsy]

G’orning, y’all!

[ArGee]

So sorry to hear that, Nully. You can always moan here. You can even do the thing that’s often associated with moaning if you want. (It’s not a word I use.)

And if you mean the “horror story” type moans, there’s plenty of company in the 3rd sub-basement.

[ArGee]

A Fairy God-Kitten would make for an interesting story.

[Covenantor]

King Fisher fishing...

Having tried to capture some of the local ones at nearby beaver ponds I have a deep appreciation for this pphotographe's skill and luck. They are very, very fast, their hunting perches are low, close to the water, and striking flights very short, a few yards at most. Using a 35mm camera with 300mm medium telephoto lens, handheld, I never had any success, only the occassional blue blur when I was able to swing almost fast enough. This head on shot is amazing, very long odds of making the capture. Hat tip to the lensman.

[Tax-chick]

Yes, that’s an excellent picture.

[Monkey Face]

Oh. My. Stars and garters!! What a stuning photo! Thanks!

[ArGee]

It caught itself.

[Tax-chick]

I have an Achievement to report! Kathleen has read a book! It was only 20 sentences or so about bobcats, but a win is a win.

Also, there are many other books about animals at the same reading level in the set “Backyard Animals.” I will check them all out next time we’re at the library.

[Monkey Face]

This is Moanday indeed.

While I was at the laundry room, early this morning, I was making the usual cursory exam of the dryers, and the second one was an absolute mess! I don’t know what was dried in it, but it looked like sand, and it coated the entire inside of that dryer, not just the lint trap. I had to clean it quite well before I dare used it, and it was only when I was in the doctor’s office that I realized I had a lot of it on my slacks. UNNGH!!

[Monkey Face]

Yay for Kathleen!! Buy her an ice cream from the Virtual Auntie!

I hope this is the beginning of something very good!

[ArGee]

Congratulations.