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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: Monkey Face
Pat has appeared. I’m going to take the van for an oil change in a few minutes. The place opens at 8:00.
461
posted on
10/27/2018 4:34:40 AM PDT
by
Tax-chick
("Kindness and truth shall meet." Ps. 85:10)
To: Tax-chick
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.
462
posted on
10/27/2018 5:01:46 AM PDT
by
Monkey Face
(If I have heard you chew, I have fantasized about your death. ~~ FB ~~)
To: Monkey Face
Pets and cars are money pits. The van was supposed to have the oil change in August.
463
posted on
10/27/2018 5:15:08 AM PDT
by
Tax-chick
("Kindness and truth shall meet." Ps. 85:10)
To: Tax-chick
Maybe part Maine Coon with the ear hair?
464
posted on
10/27/2018 6:55:32 AM PDT
by
Silentgypsy
( “If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.”__Scorpion)
To: Silentgypsy
465
posted on
10/27/2018 8:15:14 AM PDT
by
null and void
(Don't argue with the keyboard warriors. They know their delusions better than you.)
To: Silentgypsy
466
posted on
10/27/2018 8:41:13 AM PDT
by
Tax-chick
("Kindness and truth shall meet." Ps. 85:10)
To: null and void
Tom the Son would love that.
467
posted on
10/27/2018 8:42:19 AM PDT
by
Tax-chick
("Kindness and truth shall meet." Ps. 85:10)
To: Tax-chick
This photo’s just as cute if not even cuter than the last one!
468
posted on
10/27/2018 12:53:27 PM PDT
by
Silentgypsy
( “If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.”__Scorpion)
To: null and void
My digital library doesn’t have any of his works. Will look elsewhere. Appreciate the suggestion.
469
posted on
10/27/2018 12:57:52 PM PDT
by
Silentgypsy
( “If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.”__Scorpion)
To: Silentgypsy
The book referenced is ‘Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep’, the movie version is ‘Bladerunner’.
470
posted on
10/27/2018 1:02:27 PM PDT
by
null and void
(Don't argue with the keyboard warriors. They know their delusions better than you.)
To: Silentgypsy; null and void
471
posted on
10/27/2018 4:50:19 PM PDT
by
NicknamedBob
(If you can't do something well, you won't do anything good.)
To: NicknamedBob
472
posted on
10/27/2018 5:34:09 PM PDT
by
null and void
(Don't argue with the keyboard warriors. They know their delusions better than you.)
To: null and void
I think that follows a different story line.
473
posted on
10/27/2018 6:10:57 PM PDT
by
NicknamedBob
(If you can't do something well, you won't do anything good.)
To: NicknamedBob
Just finished the longest three days of my life. Only one more day of fasting to go...
474
posted on
10/27/2018 8:03:01 PM PDT
by
null and void
(Don't argue with the keyboard warriors. They know their delusions better than you.)
475
posted on
10/27/2018 9:50:23 PM PDT
by
NoCmpromiz
(John 14:6 is a non-pluralistic comment.)
To: NoCmpromiz
Congratulations! And Happy Anniversary!
My fifteenth will be in two days.
476
posted on
10/27/2018 10:00:25 PM PDT
by
NicknamedBob
(If you can't do something well, you won't do anything good.)
To: moose07
Making a little money on the side? ;-)
477
posted on
10/27/2018 10:31:06 PM PDT
by
NoCmpromiz
(John 14:6 is a non-pluralistic comment.)
To: NicknamedBob
Yeah..
I go back to the days of Sore Loserman.. ;-)
478
posted on
10/27/2018 10:38:19 PM PDT
by
NoCmpromiz
(John 14:6 is a non-pluralistic comment.)
To: Tax-chick; fanfan; ColdOne; Cyber Liberty; null and void; Anoreth; Monkey Face; ...
479
posted on
10/28/2018 3:41:06 AM PDT
by
Tax-chick
("Kindness and truth shall meet." Ps. 85:10)
To: NicknamedBob; null and void
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!
480
posted on
10/28/2018 8:09:49 AM PDT
by
Silentgypsy
( “If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.”__Scorpion)
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