What is bT?
BT is a family of protein crystals with over 200 different types, each protein is toxic to different types of insects. They are very useful as pesticides but can cause dangerous conditions in humans and can kill beneficial insects as well.
Cotton is a shrub native to many tropical and subtropical countries around the world that has been cultivated for over 9000 years, it is used for fiber and many of our clothes today contain parts of the plant. It produces a boll or protective capsule around its seeds, this is made of soft fluffy fiber that is mostly cellulose. It was first grown and used by the civilizations originating in the Indus Valley. These civilizations were widely spread across Asia which makes the origins hard to track.
When using the proteins as a pesticide became dangerous Monsanto used the genes from Bacillus thuringiensis that produced the protein in plants. The first plant to receive the bT gene was a strain of corn, shortly after they began crossing with other plants such as cotton. The plants were extremely pest tolerant but caused dangerous skin conditions in humans and killed many animals raised nearby.
