A group of scientists from leading chemical labs in India has made a thermostable variety of insulin that doesn’t require refrigeration.
Hailed as a major breakthrough in science, this is important in the world of diabetes treatment as portability has long been an issue for people dependent on insulin shots.
A Major Breakthrough: Insulin Won’t Need Refrigeration & Transportation Will Be Easier
The research was led by two scientists from the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology and the Bose Institute, as well as by two others from the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology.
The faculty member at Bose Institute, Subhrangsu Chatterjee said that now, insulin can be kept outside the fridge for as long as the user wants. He added that this is a major innovation for diabetes patients globally because until this moment, carrying insulin along was impossible.
Namely, previously, insulin had to be stored at a temperature of 4 degrees C. On the other hand, their discovery makes insulin withstand up to 65 degrees C, according to the research team.
How Was this Breakthrough Achieved?
The scientists accomplished this feature of insulin by introducing a matrix of four amino acid peptide molecules inside the molecules of insulin. As a result, the solidification of insulin molecules was averted, even when it’s not put in the fridge.
Chatterjee added that for now, they’re calling it ‘insulock’ and they’re in the process of appealing to the DST to name it after Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose.
The team hopes that DST and CSIR, who together founded this four-year research, will also help the team out with corporate processes so for mass production and availability.
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