Genetic material can be transferred from one organism to another. This can give organisms new traits that they haven’t naturally evolved but that may prove desirable. For example, the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) produces a toxin that kills many types of insect pests. If the gene responsible for that toxin is inserted into a plant’s genetic code, that plant will gain the ability to produce the toxin and will be able to ward off pests itself.