How Insulin is Produced

• Genetic engineering contributes significantly to insulin production. Recombinant Escherichia coli bacteria are used to synthesize insulin.
• The process involves extracting messenger RNA (mRNA) from human pancreas cells and coding it into bacterial DNA.
• The modified bacteria, now called recombinant DNA, is cultured to produce human insulin.
• The insulin is then extracted and prepared for commercial use, either in vials or tablets, to manage blood sugar levels in humans.

How Insulin is Formed

1. Isolation of Human Insulin Gene: The process begins with isolating the gene responsible for producing insulin from human pancreas cells. This gene is extracted as messenger RNA (mRNA), which contains the instructions for synthesizing insulin.
2. Construction of Recombinant DNA: The isolated insulin gene is inserted into a plasmid, a small, circular piece of DNA commonly found in bacteria. This plasmid, now containing the insulin gene, forms recombinant DNA, which will be introduced into bacterial cells.
3. Transformation of Bacteria: The recombinant DNA is introduced into Escherichia coli bacteria through a process called transformation. These bacteria are then cultured in large quantities, where they use the genetic instructions to produce insulin.
4. Culturing and Harvesting: The transformed bacteria are grown in fermenters under controlled conditions to maximize insulin production. Once the bacteria have multiplied and produced sufficient insulin, the cells are harvested and lysed (broken open) to release the insulin.
5. Purification and Processing: The insulin is extracted from the bacterial cells and purified through several filtration and chromatography steps to ensure it is free from contaminants. The purified insulin is then formulated into vials or tablets for medical use, helping to regulate blood sugar levels in diabetic patients.