Morning Kittah for half the country. Afternoon Kittah for the rest.
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 ...
Much like the rest of us, Brian had, (or will have, the timeline isn't too specific), both good things and bad things to deal with while growing up.
What made his childhood unique was that he could remember his previous life. Rather like Heinlein's Michael Valentine Smith, he therefore grew up as a stranger in a strange land.
It's basically another answer to the question of whether it's a good idea to live your life over again. For some it may be fine, but for others I'm sure it's oh please no.
Thank you for the Magical Trio!
G’orning, y’all!
An aside: home-crafted makes a huge mess.
Somebody did a study with rats crowded into small spaces together and the resulting horizontal violence. Don’t recall the date published. Maybe the 80’s?
LIE: the world’s longest parking lot lol!
Afternoon. It’s still cold here!
Hope you have a good evening because I’m going to go in where the sheets are warm and snuggle up with a good book!
No kitteh tomorrow or Sunday morning. I’m going camping. At a place with bathrooms. Help yourselves to the ping list, and I’ll see you some time in the p.m. on Sunday.
Watch out for ticks!
It’s 43° and the high will be 67° followed by an entire week of rain. I miss the desert!!!
(Why, oh why didn’t I move south??) Although this is only 145 miles from Vegas, it’s much higher and very cold to me.
Prayers for the safety and comfort of you and yours. (Bathrooms!!! How’d you swing that?)
There’s nothing like cuddling up with a good author!
My mother used to be really into camping-I think it started after she took a Northward Bound trip to North Carolina.
My parents used to take us camping all the time. I think they were hoping we’d either be eaten by bears or wander off into the woods.
lol.
Morning Kittah for half the country. Afternoon Kittah for the rest.
Awww...thanks, hTb!! That was sweet of you to help with the kitteh withdrawals! <3
How are things in your neck of the Michigan woods?
The apple trees are finally in bloom and we have a stellar crop of dandelions. :)
I am still putting milk jugs over the most delicate of the garden plants at night but the rest is growing a treat.
The corn, helped by some dark ground cloth, is planted. We shall see what happens. The local farmers say we are jumping the gun but with the cloth to warm the ground it might work. We'll plant the next set in two weeks.
Evangeline the cow and her calf, Stroganoff, are out and enjoying the fresh grass and the chickens are lying nicely.
DH had to have cataract surgery but he is doing nicely and no longer insisting the pictures in the living room are orangeish. They are now properly blue and green.
How are things in your neck of the woods?
I was unaware that you moved from the “no-cow” zone to a place where you can have a couple. Congratulations!! How many chickens do you have? A niece has just purchased some chicks (probably pullets by now) and a friend just purchased eight chicks which are definitely pullets, now. She moved with two hens, but one of them went over the Rainbow Bridge in December.
I moved in December, but not quite so far north as my friend did. She moved to the Salt Lake City area. I left St George 30 years ago to find a job after my divorce and I finally moved back, but another 16 miles further east and north than St G. I really like it here, but the first four weeks, I had a hard time getting used to the altitude (1500’ higher) and the cold.
I had cataract surgery five years ago, but the sac around one lens is scratched and needs a laser excising on it. I go on Thursday to see when I can schedule that. I’m glad your DH is recovering well from his surgery. It is such a blessing to see clearly and see colors the way they should be!
It sounds as though things are really coming together for you, and I’m glad of that. How are the Parental Units, these days? Are you still selling homemade soaps? (You can always answer through the back channel, if you want!)
I’m half way through cataract surgery. One eye down, one to go. What surprised me was the ‘new’ eye is 20/20 with a little far-sightedness. I had not expected an improvement of that nature.
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