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 ...
Thank you for the second breathtakingly beautiful kitteh!
You’re welcome. It’s a Norwegian Forest Cat.
Got a box with a new computerpart today. The label says it came from City of Industry, CA but FedEx says it came from ZipCode 18031 which is in PA..
That’s where it had ended up before Fed-Ex remembered what they where carrying this strange box around for.
Authenticating by telephone press the # key
If you choose to authenticate by receiving a phone call, you will hear a pre-recorded voice.
Normally it will be an English accent asking you to press the hash key.
Sometimes it may be an American accent asking you to press the pound key.
Both mean press the # key.
I can just imagine the confusion....LOL!
Now i'm hungry. :)
Lol! You had to post that, didn’t you? Now I’m hungry, too!
And for what its worth, folks these days call this “#” a “hashtag.” It’s always going to be a pound sign to me! :o]
It’s probably better that the computerpart actually came from 18031, because the City of Industry CA is a rather “dark” and turbid place for those of the lighter persuation. At least it was when we lived “next door.”
oh yes, it would have been rude not too. :D
Such a tiny little Morning Floof!!!
Good morning. I’ve written the final letter this morning, so they can all go out tomorrow. I’ll put them in the mail drop when I go up to wash clothes.
I feel a lot better this morning, but I have to take these things a day at a time because CFIDS. Hopefully, when the weather gets nicer, I’ll be able to get out and get some exercise in some of the many parks and trails. And now, I need a walking stick... ;o]
Good morning. Jake insisted I get up, sigh. I left my phone at the event we attended last night. I phoned one of the organizers and emailed another, so I’m sure they’ll turn it up eventually.
Oh my. Can you lock it from home and activate the GPS? My friend from Soldotna did that when her phone was stolen, so the thief had no access to her banking/business/contact information.
Another reason to keep the stuff on your phone as limited as possible.
It’s password-protected, and I don’t have the faintest idea how to activate the GPS, even if it was in my hand. The only important things on it are the phone numbers and the e-book reader from Union Library. I’m halfway through “Children of Dune”!
I told them exactly where I left it, and it’s in a pouch that also has some cards with my name on them. I expect I’ll hear from someone later today. It was a private event: even the caterer’s helpers were church members’ grandchildren.
Meanwhile, Jake is looking for trouble. I shut Shannon in the sunroom so he wouldn’t try to beat her up.
LOL! When we were in Germany, we had a beer, wine and “cola” crate delivered a couple of times a week! The “brot” was something we had to get on our own.
Poor Shannon. Jake needs to take his bullying outside and see if he can catch a bunny baby.
If you notify the phone company, they can activate the GPS for you. They can also lock it, just in case.
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