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 ...
Dey sez, "Fall Back!"
Kitty sees the world properly.
Good morning.
I have to shower. I’ve been up 90 minutes.
I fed the catz.
Done with the shower so I look and smell better but how do I feel?
I’m not happy to see weekends but I’ll do what I can with the rest of this one.
The Overnight shipping at iherb.com went from $6 to $9.45. And they’ve discontinued my favorite foot cream. Along with my favorite BP meds earlier this year. The latter is no longer being made. I don’t know about the foot cream. But it sure did wonders for my dry feet!
The cats have been running around yowling this morning. Sorry about your foot cream.
I guess the manufacturer is not going to make it any more. So I’ll just have to find something else.
The birds both have names, now. Beaker, for obvious reasons, and Gonzo. Because. Muppets. So tomorrow, I’ll take them to the vet and have the Beaker’s beak trimmed and just have an exam for she and Gonzo. Free visit and exam, but the beak will break me.
Now I guess, I need to finish the letters I started yesterday.
The cataract in my left eye is really interfering with my vision the last two days. Sometimes, it’s almost like its not even there. But then there are days it looks like someone smeared Vaseline over the lens.
I need to call and make an appointment to have it assessed, since it seems I’m going to be in the area for a while....
I fondly remember Beaker. He reminded me of young Billy the Son (or vice-versa).
I love the Muppets. And Beaker and Gonzo were two of my favorites along with Statler and Waldorf.
Anyway, having named Beaker because of her beak, it seemed only right to name the other one Gonzo.
So there they are. All I need is a red velvet cover for them so I can raise and lower the curtain each day!
“Human, you’re upside down!”
You don’t have carpet on your ceiling?
Not “If you look at it this way”? Thank you and G’orning.
Thanks for posting.
Afternoon!
Elen, on her day off, phoned to confirm that everything went well the last few days, and she’s now officially a Marine. I put my sticker on the van.
Yay!
Now you can pack everybody up and head to graduation. It will be a great experience for the whole family!
A week from Wednesday. We’ve rented a house.
Yayyyyy, Elen!
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