Henry Smith

The Editorial Office of MicroSci Publisher, Richmond, BC, Canada
Author    Correspondence author
Bt Research, 2023, Vol. 14, No. 1   doi: 10.5376/bt.2023.14.0001
Received: 28 Aug., 2022    Accepted: 04 Sep., 2023    Published: 08 Sep., 2023

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Smith H., 2023, Father of Bt, Ernst Berliner, a microbiologist with pioneering contributions, Bt Research, 14(1): 1-5 (doi: 10.5376/bt.2023.14.0001)

In the realms of microbiology and agriculture, the significance of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) is indisputable. This microorganism plays a pivotal role in the biological control of pests, offering agriculture a sustainable and eco-friendly solution. While this bacterium was first identified in silkworms by a Japanese scientist, it was the groundbreaking work of German microbiologist Ernst Berliner that truly brought widespread attention to Bt. In 1911, while investigating a disease affecting flour moth larvae in the Thuringia region, Berliner rediscovered this bacterium, naming it Bacillus thuringiensis. His research not only established the relationship between Bt and certain pests but also laid a solid foundation for subsequent studies, leading to the extensive application of Bt in the field of agriculture.

Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis); Ernst Berliner; Ishiwata Shigetane; Flour moth larvae; Silkworm larvae