Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

DARPA wants GM insects to deliver disease-fixing genes to food crops:

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603004/to-cure-crop-disease-faster-add-bugs/

The agency wants to use an approach called gene therapy to protect and rejuvenate crops from diseases—both naturally occurring ones and biothreats. Gene therapy uses harmless viruses as a vehicle to carry new genetic material to cells in an attempt to correct or reverse disease symptoms. Scientists think insects, which are the natural carriers of most plant viruses, could shuttle defensive genes to crops. Insects can be quickly bred and released within the same growing season.

DARPA is soliciting proposals from academic and industry scientists to develop a plant virus capable of carrying and delivering genetic material to a mature plant. Investigators will then have to figure out which insect species would deliver the viruses.

…DARPA hopes the technology will be ready to be released in the field in four years.