In the middle of the night on August 21, 1978 a 27-year old biochemist called Dave Goeddel used a recently developed revolutionary method to join two pieces of protein in a test tube to create modern insulin thus ending the need to sacrifice millions of animals every year to supply insulin for treating diabetes as had been the practice since the discovery of insulin by Frederick Banting and his team in 1921.
Goeddel belongs to a new breed of scientists who had the courage and ingenuity to pioneer a method which bypassed the natural methods of reproduction which had evolved over millions of years.
Modern insulin, the first medical product made by this method launched the biotechnology revolution and today's multibillion dollar biotechnology industry which manufactures a host of products ranging from antibiotics to vaccines for immunisation against various infections including Covid-19.
