Scientists Engineer Bt Biopesticide to Withstand Extreme Heat

Scientists from the United Arab Emirates University have engineered a heat-resistant strain of Bacillus thuringiensis to shield microbial biopesticides against thermal degradation in high temperature climates. By inserting PdDHN1, a protective date palm gene, into the Bt bacterium, the researchers successfully stabilized its insecticidal proteins, enabling it to effectively control the destructive red palm weevil even under severe heat stress.

To evaluate its performance in high-temperature environments, the team exposed the recombinant strain to 45 degrees C temperatures for seven days before conducting insect bioassays. Remarkably, high spore viability and strong insecticidal power were retained by the heat-treated bacteria, with over 90% of both young and adult weevils being killed within 21 days. Additionally, larval feeding efficiency was severely disrupted by exposure to the engineered bacterium, with the conversion of ingested food being decreased by more than 70% compared to standard control treatments.

Although field trials are still required before commercial deployment, enhancing the thermal stability of biological control agents through expressing PdDHN1 in B. thuringiensis offers a step forward toward a scalable approach to protect crops from severe pest infestations while reducing reliance on synthetic chemical insecticides in warming regions.