The Pentagon Wants to Make an Army of Virus-Spreading Insects. Scientists Are Concerned.

.livescience.com ^ | October 5, 2018 12:57pm ET | Brandon Specktor

[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."

[Silentgypsy]

Awwwww.... Thank you.

[Tax-chick]

You’re welcome.

[Silentgypsy]

Happy Marmalade Thursday, y’all!

[Tax-chick]

Thor is fond of orange cats, I guess.

[no-to-illegals]

And a citrus jelly that’s not jelly back at cha

[Tax-chick]

Good morning!

[Silentgypsy]

*snorkle*

[no-to-illegals]

Morning Good !!!

[Monkey Face]

Good morning young man!

[Monkey Face]

*tagline*

[ArGee]

I didn’t know TC was responsible for the ‘face.

[Monkey Face]

*hahahaha*

[no-to-illegals]

My apology for an earlier nonresponse. My Grandson took the my computer away and used the computer. True story. Grandson rules when he’s in the house. Evening Face

[Tax-chick]

[Tax-chick]

I don't know where these kittehs live, but it's very scenic.

[ArGee]

Happy Friday, everyone.

If someone photoshopped a human standing as tall as this kitteh’s shoulders it would not look wrong.

[NicknamedBob]

True, but the shadow would look weird.

[Covenantor]

[Tax-chick]

Hmmmm, I wonder how that happened!

[Tax-chick]

Maybe in Middle Earth.

Happy Freya Day, gentlemen. I have to talk to the registrar at CP this afternoon when I take Pat to class. I have a confusion about his course options for next semester.