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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: Tax-chick

And you said them all 30 times to She? *snort*

We had another very quick T-storm a few minutes ago. It seems they creep up on us about every 12 hours. Interesting. But since we are surrounded by mountains and bluffs, they don’t seem to work up too much of a punch. Except in Zion Park, of course. Then one needs to stay away from the Virgin River, which has a tendency to flash flood without warning, and take shelter under anything but trees.

In Henderson, they were very scary. I don’t miss that, but I do miss the warmth. Today, it MAY get up to 71°. *shiver*


5,961 posted on 05/08/2019 5:13:15 AM PDT by Monkey Face (Eat a bullfrog first thing in the morning and nothing worse can happen to you the rest of the day!)
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To: Monkey Face

Most James and Frank. I’m taking some kids out for an exertion now, before it gets too hot.


5,962 posted on 05/08/2019 5:17:35 AM PDT by Tax-chick ("The villain is not the market but the state." ~ Jonah Goldberg)
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To: Tax-chick

Ah. So one got the idea and the other one ran with it. Just like byos.

Enjoy your excursion!


5,963 posted on 05/08/2019 5:31:09 AM PDT by Monkey Face (Eat a bullfrog first thing in the morning and nothing worse can happen to you the rest of the day!)
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To: Monkey Face

It got quite warm. We listened to birds and recited multiplication facts. Next, I’m going to my prayer group after cutting up apples.


5,964 posted on 05/08/2019 6:19:42 AM PDT by Tax-chick ("The villain is not the market but the state." ~ Jonah Goldberg)
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To: null and void

I’m sorry to hear that. Do keep us posted.


5,965 posted on 05/08/2019 6:26:10 AM PDT by ArGee (Celebrate diversity! Excellence is out.)
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To: Tax-chick; Monkey Face; NicknamedBob; NoCmpromiz; null and void; no-to-illegals; Silentgypsy; ...

Oh, good grief, is it morning already?

OK. Good morning, everyone.

I guess if Top Gun can have a Top Gun II after all these years, we can have a Monday III.


5,966 posted on 05/08/2019 6:27:18 AM PDT by ArGee (Celebrate diversity! Excellence is out.)
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To: Tax-chick
“You know you’re not allowed to _____!”

My dad used to say, "Don't let the screen door hit you on your way out. Because if you keep doing that, you aren't living here.

5,967 posted on 05/08/2019 6:28:56 AM PDT by ArGee (Celebrate diversity! Excellence is out.)
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To: Tax-chick

Good plan. I often need to pray after using a kitchen knife.


5,968 posted on 05/08/2019 6:30:01 AM PDT by ArGee (Celebrate diversity! Excellence is out.)
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To: Monkey Face

I have other irons in the fire. I’m about half way through a patent application, just received prototypes and will start testing today. Pretty good and growing market, and I can charge a hefty premium for my version.

One of my (former) cow-irkers has expressed interest in starting a company.

And I have one other project in the offing.


5,969 posted on 05/08/2019 7:02:58 AM PDT by null and void (The press is always lying. When they aren't actively lying, they are actively concealing the truth.)
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To: null and void

Nully, I told you that idea to have Alexa automatically say “I’m sorry, dear” in her husband’s voice will never sell.

I know the wives will buy it, but they won’t be able to record their husbands actually saying it.


5,970 posted on 05/08/2019 8:03:06 AM PDT by ArGee (Celebrate diversity! Excellence is out.)
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To: null and void

Wellden. I will just continue to keep you in my prayers. :o] (How’s Mom?)


5,971 posted on 05/08/2019 8:15:06 AM PDT by Monkey Face (Eat a bullfrog first thing in the morning and nothing worse can happen to you the rest of the day!)
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To: ArGee

Ha-ha!

And just think: tomorrow is Friday Eve!!!


5,972 posted on 05/08/2019 8:15:58 AM PDT by Monkey Face (Eat a bullfrog first thing in the morning and nothing worse can happen to you the rest of the day!)
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To: Tax-chick

Thank you for the lovely, serene kitteh!


5,973 posted on 05/08/2019 9:38:22 AM PDT by Silentgypsy (Call an addiction hotline and say you're hooked on phonics.)
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To: ArGee
No problem. We're covertly recording him talking to ESPN, filtering out the ESPN audio and compiling enough phonemes to have his voice say anything...
5,974 posted on 05/08/2019 10:01:04 AM PDT by null and void (The press is always lying. When they aren't actively lying, they are actively concealing the truth.)
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To: Tax-chick; moose07

I just watched the first of the “Foyle’s War” series. I’ve never seen it but I’ve seen trailers and thought it might be good. The first one was every bit the British cliffhanger mystery! Excellent stuff.

Now I need to find something to eat, because I think my blood sugar dropped in a hurry. I thought of making bread tomorrow, but I have that appointment at ophthalmology in St George. Maybe Friday.


5,975 posted on 05/08/2019 11:05:16 AM PDT by Monkey Face (Eat a bullfrog first thing in the morning and nothing worse can happen to you the rest of the day!)
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To: Monkey Face

It’s a fantastic series. Wait until Miss Pierce shows up!


5,976 posted on 05/08/2019 11:23:36 AM PDT by Tax-chick ("The villain is not the market but the state." ~ Jonah Goldberg)
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To: ArGee; Tax-chick; Monkey Face; no-to-illegals; NoCmpromiz; NicknamedBob; Darksheare; moose07; ...

G’daft ernoon, y’all!


5,977 posted on 05/08/2019 11:28:28 AM PDT by Silentgypsy (Call an addiction hotline and say you're hooked on phonics.)
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To: Tax-chick

I had no idea they were such long episodes, so I’ll be working my way through them one at a time.

Along with the other stuff...

And now, I have to take my silly self to bed. It’s been a Monday III.

Ta!


5,978 posted on 05/08/2019 12:20:58 PM PDT by Monkey Face (Eat a bullfrog first thing in the morning and nothing worse can happen to you the rest of the day!)
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To: null and void

Nice.

Can you have him approve that large transfer of funds to my account?


5,979 posted on 05/08/2019 12:34:53 PM PDT by ArGee (Celebrate diversity! Excellence is out.)
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To: null and void

Actually, I once saw a demonstration of a voice command module for a helicopter cockpit. I asked the developers how they had filtered out the engine and blade noise. He said they actually train the listener while the bird is in flight so they don’t have any idea what it would sound like if the pilot said “fire” in a silent room. But it knows what “fire” sounds like with the engine running.

So the woman might have no idea what it sounds like to have her husband say “Whatever you say, dear” without the sounds of a game in the background.


5,980 posted on 05/08/2019 12:37:35 PM PDT by ArGee (Celebrate diversity! Excellence is out.)
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