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 ...
I would love to do useful things, but I have to be at work.
I know the opinion columnists can’t pick their headlines. I’ll credit the Townhall.com editorial board with this masterful work.
“New York Times to Ilhan Omar: Hold My Beer”
Yes, I understand that. I would rather be gainfully employed, but...
That was a good one.
Let me know if you have a preference.
What about, “Celebrate diversity! It’s what we have instead of excellence.”
The Morning Floof looks like a Russian Blue. Those beautiful amber eyes...!!
Good morning. It’s very cold here, about 50° if the wind is factored in. Yesterday afternoon, we had the first thunder storm of the season, and it was a doozy. It actually lasted several hours, and switched between hail, rain, wind and loud crashy-boomy things with no regularity whatsoever.
The weather beeber says light rain is falling but the streets are trying to dry. The rain is supposed to last all day again. And Lablady said it was snowing in CO yesterday.
Is it time to put the fans away?? That was a very short summer of one week!
*tagline*
Good morning. Tappy Whosday! Looks like there’s something coming in from our 4 o’clock.
I vote for #3!
;o]
Good morning! Monday II is on deck at the moment. I’m waiting for Spring. The storm that hit us yesterday afternoon hit my daughter’s area during the night and they woke up to 3” of snow.
Good morning. Back from Weight Watchers, where the news wasn’t as bad as I expected.
Elen, USMC, is in the living room organizing all her stuff and listening to horrid music on her computer. I’m thinking about an early lunch for the other young parties, followed by a trip to the library.
It’s good to know it wasn’t as bad as you anticipated! My weight is still what it was yesterday, but that’s a good thing. So I occupied myself by taking my shoes and bags out of the long storage-tub-without-a-lid and putting the bags on the closet self. On another day, I’ll line up the shoes on the floor of the closet. I really need a rack of coat hooks.
I was thinking about going to pick up a prescription, but realized I’d have to wait until payday.
It’s gray, dreary and cold today.
Whatever you are doing today, do it with the confidence of a four year old in a Bat-Man tee-shirt.
Are you calling me a politician???!!!
Actually, they have more confidence and less reason than a 4-year-old in a Batman T-Shirt.
O hai! That’s a good idea. I think I’ll make chicken salad, confidently, but with less mess than a 4-year-old.
It’s sunny and warm today, but I’m tired.
Cold, ugly and damp. Unngh.
My left eye is making my life miserable. Now, I’m going to go flip all the calendars over to May. I don’t have to see much to do that!
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