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."

[ArGee]

Happy Friday Eve, everyone.

I wish this project didn’t have a Delivery Lead who made me think of Dilbert’s pointy-haired manager so much.

[ArGee]

[Tax-chick]

Yep, we’ve done that.

[Tax-chick]

Happy Thorsday!

[Monkey Face]

Well, ArGee, it’s Friday Eve, and in case your sister is curious, I want at least five of those little floppies. I may want more. There are priced right for me, and they are unique.

[Monkey Face]

*tagline*

[Covenantor]

[ArGee]

Hah!

I think I know Joe.

[Tax-chick]

Tom says that’s a common meme with several variations.

[moose07]

Excellent, Western traditions upheld.

"Any party traveling more than 50miles must be ambushed at the intersection."

As written in the "Book of Instructions ".

[moose07]

LOL! You’ve just got me in trouble next week..... :)

[NoCmpromiz]

I worked with Joe..

[ArGee]

Did he show you the “Tom left” version?

[Silentgypsy]

Soooooo beautiful—thank you!

[Tax-chick]

Heh, no.

[Tax-chick]

You’re welcome.

[Silentgypsy]

G'daft ernoon, y'all!

Sorry about your DL. May a thousand camels desecrate his tent.

[ArGee]

Drudge headline: Scientists put human gene into monkeys to make them smarter...

First monkey tweet: Humans, we were here first so get the f*** off our planet.

Way to go, scientists.

[Silentgypsy]

Lol!

[ArGee]

PJ Media post: Ilhan Omar accused of anti-simianism in latest rant.