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    Scientists develop insulin that can be kept without refrigeration

    Synopsis

    This is being hailed as a big breakthrough in scientific circles, as portability has always been a concern for insulin-dependent people.

    Diabetes ScreeningAP
    Insulin that earlier had to be kept at a temperature of 4 degrees Celsius can now withstand up to 65 degrees Celsius, the researchers said. (Representational image of insulin)
    A team of scientists from leading chemical labs in India have developed a thermostable variety of insulin that does not need refrigeration, TOI reported .

    This is being hailed as a big breakthrough in scientific circles, as portability has always been a concern for insulin-dependent people.

    The research was led by two scientists of the Bose Institute and the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB) in Kolkata, and two others from the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad.

    Subhrangsu Chatterjee, a faculty member at Bose Institute said, “You will be able to keep it outside the refrigerator for as long as you want, something that will help diabetes patients across the world, because carrying insulin along with them was considered impossible all this while.”

    Insulin that earlier had to be kept at a temperature of 4 degrees Celsius can now withstand up to 65 degrees Celsius, the researchers said.

    This feat was achieved by introducing a matrix of four amino acid peptide molecules inside insulin molecules, which prevented solidification of the insulin molecules even when not refrigerated.

    “Though for the moment we are calling it ‘insulock’, we are in the process of appealing to the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to name it after Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose,” Chatterjee said.

    The scientists are also hoping for DST and CSIR - who together funded the four-year research -- to help them out with corporate tie-ups for mass production.


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