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 ...
And who wouldn’t be concerned. Anything our army does, will be owned by Russia in 5 years and China 5 years after that. When it gets to Iran, it will be used.
What could possibly go wrong?
What could go wrong?
I call BS.
Apparently, we have folks with WAY too much time on their hands and too much of OUR money at their disposal...
What happened to the man-eating bunny rabbit idea?
The only absolute guarantee is that you will never, ever, get this genie back into the bottle. Think about that, PLEASE
That’s where all those alien looking new insects are coming from.
We have a virus going around in our county . . . a couple who took the flu shot a while back have it bad. According to their doctor, the virus can lead to thyroid problems and also red spots on the throat. Just more end times stuff to look forward to. http://patburt.com/
What could possibly go wrong with this plan?
The day of the Trifids is not far off. Where’s my Roundup?
Have these folks watched a horror movie in the last 40 years?
As has been said what could possibly go wrong.....
We will find out what could go wrong. With such things the rule is that if it can be done it will be done regardless of any laws banning it. Passing laws to prohibit these things results only in their secrecy and lack of direct utility in a court of law.
Anybody remember that commercial, It’s not nice to fool mother nature.
What happened to the man-eating bunny rabbit idea?
Damn thing went after president Carter and the program lost its funding.
Let's ask Darks...
It’s been pretty clear for a long time now that scientists DO NOT watch horror flicks.
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