This study is just the first step, we need to do more research and then objectively weigh the risks versus the benefits of this new technology. Losey's colleagues in the study were Linda S. Rayor, Cornell instructor in entomology, and Maureen E. Carter, Cornell research aide. The toxin in the transformed pollen, the researchers say, goes into the gut of the caterpillar, where it binds to specific sites. When the toxin binds, the gut wall changes from a protective layer to an open sieve so that pathogens usually kept within the gut and excreted are released into the insect's body. As a result, the caterpillar quickly sickens and dies.
Bt corn is among the first major commercial successes for agricultural biotechnology.
Last year, more than 7 million acres of the hybrid crop were planted by U.S. farmers primarily to control the European corn borer. Before Bt corn, the corn borer was extremely difficult to control because it bores into the stalk, where it is protected from pesticides. It produces several generations a year. Bt corn essentially provides total season-long control at a reasonable cost without the use of pesticides. At least 18 different Bt crops have been approved for field testing in the United States.