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 ...
Good point!
My starting fluid is black in color and doesn't have a label.
Oooooh—a Pushme Pullyou! It’s been decades....
G’orning, y’all!
The Morning Floofs are looking very floofy this morning!
Good morning. I was going to get my hair cut Friday, (with the really cheap coupon!) but by the time I pay for everything else, the hair will have to wait. It’s getting way too long. Of course, I could always cut it myself, if my arthritic arm joints could be convinced to stop nagging me!
Almost as soon as I got home yesterday, my phone rang, telling me there had been a cancellation in St George, and could I make it in by 1100? It was 1030 and I was in the middle of a low blood sugar episode, and there was no way I was going to get behind the wheel until it was under control. Which usually takes 20-30 minutes.
I stopped at Walgreen’s to get the morphine prescription I had turned in on Saturday (dated to “do not fill until”) and that would put it on Monday. Did I miss something? Or did someone drop the ball? “We only have 50 tablets, but if you can come back this afternoon, we can have the full prescription.” Am I the only person in Hurricane who is on morphine? If not, then there is no excuse for not having a supply on hand. </rant
BWAHAHAHA!
Good one! I won’t even ask the ridiculous questions! ;o]
At least you have enough energy to rant!
We hiked 12 miles on Saturday. I’m still feeling it a bit.
I have to go to Walmart and get a few food things and then stop at the Sinclair station and get a couple of gallons (edging very close to $4 a gallon, here, tourist mecca that it is, being “The Gateway to Zion Park”) so I have enough to get into St George on Thursday.
That’s the ophthalmologist and I’m excited to finally get there and get an appointment for my left eye. I’m essentially blind in that eye, and its getting harder and harder to focus on the printed word.
Sounds like a plan. I have Weight Watchers this morning, and then lots of Life Organizing to do.
You hiked 12 miles??? On one day? No wonder you’re “feeling it a bit.”
I hope you’re able to get the kinks out soon. <3
Yep. In the mountains, up and down, up and down. Our youngest participant was 6 years old.
Well, it’s Tuesday.
Happy Monday Part Deux, all.
Yes, Monday Part Deux is a day to be happy on because only one day separates us from Friday Eve!
Happy post-Monday, all y’all. Back from Weight Watchers, and I’m plowing through a long list of household and Cub Scouts minutiae. At 3:00, I’m going to Paige, Hair Designer, for a haircut.
Yeahbut...
...just about the time I start wishing stupidity were instantly fatal, I do something stupid. Maybe there oughta be a sliding scale of stupid...
Oh — wait; there is: Natural Consequences have a way of being particularly brutal to the defiantly stupid. And I include “armed conflict” among the panoply of Natural Consequences.
I’m happy you’ve found someone to cut your hair, the way you like it. And that she is doing a good job. Speaking of hairdressers, have you heard from Jamie?
I’ll have to try to cut my own tomorrow, because I just can’t go with it this long. It’s beginning to look really scraggly while the new growth catches up. Cutting it is the best thing to do. So I’ll try to do it. Like I used to...
I haven’t heard from Jamie for a long time. Last I heard, she had moved to Seattle. I could ask Sally; I think they’re in touch on Facebook.
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