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 ...
I hope you have a good night! James got a Lego set in the mail this afternoon. He won it in a drawing on Labor Day. Frank and Kathleen both “leveled up” in swimming lessons. There won’t be more until January.
The word got cheapened a lot once it got translated out of koine..
Koine as opposed to Kone which soldered resistors in backwards.
Yes, I suspect no one really knows what love is except for the Lord Jesus Christ. The rest of us just try.
What a pretty, pensive kitteh.
Iherb.com sent me an email asking exactly what was in the second half of my order that should have been here on Thursday. Evidently, they’re going to ship another order out “overnight” or some such to make sure I get it, so December’s order should be very small. That is, if the current one is “on the way” as they said yesterday.
Maybe my threat to find another herbal supplement company was the key... ;o]
At any rate, its a new day and I’m open for suggestions on how to behave. *haha*
Please spend your day praying for Elen, who has two more days of “Crucible,” and it’s supposed to be 50s and rainy there the next 24 hours.
We’re going to Mass this morning, then several errands. Then I have things to accomplish in aid of getting the car formerly driven by Tom repaired. He, of course, cannot contribute except as luggage to be hauled around, just like his Southern belle brother.
Ohmygosh.
Yes, I will spend a lot of time in prayer this day, and Elen is on my prayer list, so she will benefit along with the others whose petitions need to be sent Heavenward.
I’m taking Charlie to the Dollar Tree and the bank, but I also have to go get another prescription for my lungs. It’s one of the more expensive ones, and so now, I’m beginning to resent my lungs!
I resent Tom today. I was explaining that we would be going over his income and legitimate expenses and would be presenting him with a weekly bill for his auto insurance and other costs, and he said, “I’m not an idiot!”
“Oh? Then what’s the back-up camera on the car for?” I replied.
Like any other tool, a back-up camera is only good if one uses it.
It sounds like he needs to have that fiscal accounting for his room and board. Some kids just don’t think they have to pay their ways. Or at least not to “THAT” extent!
Meetings, meetings, meetings.
Oh, well. Hippy Freeday!
I have a mandatory meeting at 1030 about the fact that the clubhouse (containing the laundry room) is being “renovated” in Phase II. I don’t care, because laundromat.
:o])
So happy Friday!
Thank you for the precious!
Frappy Hiday and have a great weekend, y’all!
Awwww.
I absolutely love that dog! So obedient and tolerant!
Misread as “Hippy Frappe”.
The suspect ones were blue. Apparently that batch was marked polarity reversed. They blowed up real good.. ;-).
Nobody in Corporate Engineering bothered to tell me about this minor issue so the first time I got the fireworks display I freaked out. Via a phone call to Engineering I was told to look at the circuit boards that failed and see if there were blue capacitors on them which of course was affirmative. When I asked what exactly I was supposed to do with this issue I was told swap out the boards until you find some that don't blow up.
If a circuit board got built with the defective units the only way to field test was power on and see what happens. We had some excellent pyro displays until they purged the stock. Freaked out several of the field techs who were with me when we started up the systems. One, after we arrived in the motor room, sent the helper on the coffee run, and set everything up asked 'What's the first step?' My reply was 'Turn on the main line and after the smoke clears change some boards.' He looked at me like I was nuts and said 'You're kidding.' I said 'Nope. Put the main on', which he did (or more correctly had the helper do.) Immediately the sound of fireworks, flashes of light, and white smoke emanated from the circuit board rack. The field tech was mortified. I just laughed hysterically. What I said would be the first step was exactly what happened.
Maybe I should have given the 'why' explanation before instead of after the light show...
Thank you for the Halloweenie!
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