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 ...
Who rescued a kitteh from all the way up there? Mr. Incredible?
Good morning, everyone.
I found out that I can’t run as well in warmer weather. It is probably because I can’t breathe without the dense cold air. But maybe this third time to re-start my running will take.
Maybe you need some starting fluid.
Morning Floof says he’s looking for someone with some fishies!
Good morning. The laundry is done, the rain is still raining and I have an appointment at 0800 for physical therapy, which I think is going to be a bust from the get-go because of the chronic bursitis as well as the arthritis.
The bed still needs clean sheets and the sleep shirts need to be hung up, but I had to sit for a while and let the pain dissipate for a bit. I need to stop making appointments on Mondays!!!
I was going to get a hair cut last week because I have a coupon from Great Clips for a $6.99 haircut that expires the 24th. Maybe I can get it done on Friday.
It looks as though my brother’s widow is going to be following him soon. Since his death six weeks ago, she has gone downhill, and it seems she spends a lot of time on the Other Side, not recognizing people here. My liberal niece (the one I stayed with in April) is taking just as good care of my SiL as she did my brother. I may be making another trip soon. I will need to get a new air filter and wiper blades before then...in case the Tracker Guy pronounces the BB SUV fit to travel.
Good morning, Monday. I’m not quite with it yet.
I think you need to stop making appointments for Mondays.
Sorry to hear your sister-in-law isn’t doing well. I’m glad she has good care, even if the niece is liberal!
I think they need to stop making Mondays.
I just saw a headline at RCP titled, “The most important 44 words in the Constitution.”
I can think of 4.
“Congress shall make no law.”
If more people paid attention to those words we’d have a lot fewer problems.
That was 5.
UNGH! Reactions to foodstuffs are the WORST! All the stuff ya used to enjoy, then — one fine day — there’s a physiological coup someplace in your DNA, and now enjoying your old favorites is like eating Kryptonite.
After a life of eating pretty much anything she wanted, my wife had some antibiotic-related disaster and now can’t eat dairy, anymore — butter only, but nothing with casein in it. So, CRAP — no dairy? That’s like f*n half the menu just about anyplace you’d go to grab dinner! Coupla decent Thai places we’ve been to use coconut milk, so she’s free and clear there, but...geez! And home cooking gets alot more complex trying to work out palatable substitutes for the rank upon rank of normal ingredients that are made with milk.
And then, just out of compassion and empathy, nobody else in the house feels OK eating anything she can’t eat. Kiddos get milk, cheese for their sandwiches. and occasionally some ice cream. Other than that, we’re on the Empathy Diet.
If I stopped making appointments for Mondays, it would be a very good idea. Thanks for the suggestion!
Back from PT. Unngh.
Isn’t that 5 words?
What beautiful markings! I wonder what the rest of kitteh looks like. Anyway, thank you.
The Constitution does not say “ArGee shall learn to count.”
;)
I’m wondering if something similar happens with tolerance for stupidity. Young people seem to be able to put up with it but I just want to go all Darwin Awards on the stupid.
G’daft ernoon, y’all!
G’daft ernoon, y’all!
Yellow! How’s it shaking?
More importantly, is it shaking?
You’re welcome. I need to do something, but I can’t remember what.
I have some.
But I read the contents label and if I remember correctly they used to use that stuff to knock you out..
One, three, five, four, one thousand, a couple billion...
In the government accounting bureaus it’s whatever you make up.. ;-)
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