In this episode, Dr. Joel Couceiro and Dr. Martyn Wood (both Postdoctoral Research Associates, IMBB-FORTH) discuss how bacteria became important tools for controlling agricultural pests and disease vectors. They talk about the history of Bacillus thuringiensis, from its discovery in diseased insects to its use for pest control and genetically modified crops. They explain how its insecticidal proteins act in the insect gut, why different Bt strains target different groups of insects, and why many insects and non-targets are not susceptible to Bt. The discussion also covers other insecticidal bacteria and the challenges of formulation and resistance management.

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