- The Bt brinjal refers to a group of transgenic brinjals created by inserting a crystal protein gene (Cry1Ac) from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis into the genome of various brinjal cultivars. This was developed to give resistance against lepidopteron insects, in particular the Brinjal Fruit and Shoot Borer.
- Mahyco, an Indian seed company based in Jalna, Maharashtra, has developed the Bt brinjal. It was approved for commercialization in India in 2009, but – after an apparent public outcry and rounds of debates, the then Indian Environment Minister, Jairam Ramesh, facilitated a moratorium on its release until further, unspecified, tests were conducted.
- Bt brinjal was approved for commerical release in Bangladesh in 2013.