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 ...
Wow. I thought Jamie moved to Florida?
Life. It just keeps passing me by... :o|
She did, but then she moved again.
I got an excellent cut from Paige.
On the sliding scale thing, Gallagher once proposed that every driver be given a dart gun with a supply of darts with yellow flags that say “Stupid.” Whenever a driver does something stupid you shoot the back of their car. Whenever a car has 10 or more “Stupid” flags the next cop that sees them gives them a ticket.
10 seems enough room for idiot mistakes.
You shoot the ones on the Left, I'll shoot the ones on the Right... 'Cause my field of foxtrots runneth empty...
Not so much "fame and fortune" as it is "family and skullduggery"...
The downside of that is lack of bile regulation to help digest and absorb animal fats. Red meats are almost completely off limits to her... Fatty cuts of pork as well...
Oh, there are stories squiring around under that premise.
Okay, you're busy; I understand. In the last three days I have worked myself to exhaustion each day.
This would hardly be worth mentioning except that the process only required about fifteen minutes.
Meant to say “squirming”. (Mis-typed that at first, too.)
It good to see you here again!
Dat Morning Floof looks like a Scruffy!!
Good morning. I’ve had my shower and will soon make the bed, but I’ve decided that I’ll forego the steroid in an effort to wean myself off of the nebulizer, and will rely strictly on the rescue inhaler, since I’m taking the coconut oil capsules. They seem to be working. So there is that!
I’m really enjoying “Foyle’s War,” and I don’t know yet what I’ll choose after that. I have a list of shows, and will request them as I near the end of my pile of movies each week.
Today, I’ll concentrate on organizing the bedroom so I can get the TV hooked up in there, finally. I’ll have the tech hook up the VHS/DVD recorder because on Monday, I added to the movies I want to put on CD. Some are classics and are listed as part of the top 100 (by SOMEone) movies of all time. I still don’t have “It’s A Wonderful Life.”
Grizzly, ain't it.
not to but in, but it you enjoyed Foyle’s War you may enjoy Midsomer Murders. On Netflix. 19 or 20 seasons. Each episode about 90 minutes long. First couple of seasons not in HD. But the rest are, and lots of beautiful British countryside and villages.
Ooooh, doggies!!! What a beast!! S/he obviously had a good diet when he was alive.
Thanks for the morning scare!
*tagline*
Dang, that’s a big foot!
All friendly contributors are welcome on the Undead Thread. Unfriendly contributors run into the Molasses Miasma of Niceness, and they promptly leave.
I started watching “Foyle’s War” and then watched “Midsomer Murders,” back when I had to get them from the library. I’ve tried some other series but didn’t get into them.
‘Face, you should see if your library has the “Horatio Hornblower” series. It has lots of cuteness and a big ship.
Whelp! It’s Wednesday.
And so it goes.
Reminds me of the Murphy’s Law corollary - Foolproof systems rarely account for the ingenuity of fools.
Speaking of the rules here, I unfortunately spilled some of Darks’ coffee down in the 3rd sub-basement. I won’t go into details of the cleanup but we need a new mop as the coffee seemed to think it was a lightsaber and started swinging it at me.
Any good move opportunities? (looks over shoulder) Like soon?
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