At the risk of sounding like a TV game show host or a question card from Trivial Pursuit – how do they make insulin?

It’s a question that I found myself asking the other day when I was reading the label of my Novorapid vial which says;

“The active substance in Novorapid is insulin aspart produced by biotechnology. Novorapid contains the following other substances: Glycerol, Phenol, Metacresol, Zinc Chloride, Disodium phosphate dihydrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydrochloric acid and Water for injections”.

It’s quite amazing when I think about it but I have absolutely no idea how insulin is made these days! I’m imagining labs filled with all sorts of technology and I did manage the find the image you can see here at a website about insulin manufacturing but when push comes to shove, I don’t actually know and that kinda bugs me cos I think I ought to know how the substance that keeps me alive is created.

With that in mind, I’m planning on trying to find the time to find out over the next two weeks (does that sound like non-committal or what!). I’ll be sure to post a blog on what I find out so that you don’t have to do the research!

- Aaron