Genetic engineering of bacteria to improve efficacy using the insecticidal proteins of Bacillus species.

This chapter describes the key aspects of the basic biology of insecticidal proteins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis, including the genetic factors that regulate their synthesis, and then show how these have been manipulated in this species and others to improve efficacy. Summaries are also provided of methods for engineering B. thuringiensis, and a protocol for genetic transformation of this species that has worked well under laboratory conditions.