New designer toxins kill Bt-resistant insect pests

A new way to combat resistant pests stems from discovering how the widely-used natural insecticide Bt kills insects. Figuring out how Bt toxins punch holes in the cells of an insect's gut was the key to designing the new toxins, according to new research. Some pest insects have developed resistance to Bt toxins, naturally occurring insecticides used worldwide to combat both crop pests and disease-carrying mosquitoes.

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