How Bacillus thuringiensis kills its insect host

As bioinsecticides, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and the pesticidal proteins produced by this, and other bacteria, have proved to be commercially very successful. Although its basic mechanism of action has been understood for many decades, current literature on this topic often comes across as inconclusive and even contradictory. In an attempt to clarify this, a symposium was held at the 2025 Society of Invertebrate Pathology annual meeting where a number of these topics were discussed with the objective of reaching a consensus opinion. What follows is a summary of the conclusions drawn from that symposium. It is not intended to be a comprehensive review of the subject but rather a condensed synopsis that the various stakeholders involved in insect pest management can use as an indication of current thinking in this area.