LIFE SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Most GMO corn is created to resist insect pests or tolerate herbicides. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn is a GMO corn that produces proteins that are toxic to certain insect pests but not to humans, pets, livestock, or other animals.

Detailed explanation-2: -The protein is very selective, generally not harming insects in other orders (such as beetles, flies, bees and wasps). For this reason, GMOs that have the Bt gene are compatible with biological control programs because they harm insect predators and parasitoids much less than broad-spectrum insecticides.

Detailed explanation-3: -To address these problems, several varieties of corn have been genetically engineered to incorporate Bt genes encoding proteins called “delta-endotoxins” and “vegetative insecticidal proteins” (VIPs), which are specific to various insect pests.

Detailed explanation-4: -Insects that eat genetically modified crops can, in some cases, start to develop a resistance to the protein that usually kills them. This is something to keep an eye on in the future as some GM technologies that work great today will become less effective as certain insects evolve resistance.

Detailed explanation-5: -Field-evolved resistance to Bt maize has occurred for two moth species: fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, in Puerto Rico, and African stem borer, Busseola fusca, in South Africa, so this concern is warranted.