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What an incredible transformation. A protein used to help bones mend can also force pancreatic cells into producing insulin. The discovery could help people with type 1 diabetes produce their own insulin without having to take daily injections. In type 1 diabetes, beta cells in the pancreas that make insulin - the hormone that keeps our blood glucose levels at a safe concentration - are destroyed by the immune system. As a result, people with the disease have to inject themselves daily with insulin. Now, researchers have discovered that non-beta cells in the pancreas can be transformed into insulin-producing cells, merely by exposing them to a growth factor called BMP-7.

Before the discovery of insulin in 1921, being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes was a death sentence. Despite the successful management of diabetes with purified animal insulin, potentially severe side effects were abundant, and alternative ways to produce insulin were needed. This case study guides students through the history of using insulin to treat diabetes, focusing on the development of recombinant DNA technology and the world's first bioengineered drug, recombinant human insulin, which is now used worldwide to treat diabetes. Through the course of this case, students consider the central dogma of molecular biology, the development of recombinant DNA technology, drug design, the importance of recombinant proteins to our society, and the ethical analysis and debates that occur as a result of some scientific discoveries. This case was developed as an introduction to an upper-division biotechnology course focusing on recombinant protein design and production, but could also be used in molecular biology, biochemistry, or introductory biology courses to highlight recombinant DNA and biotechnology.

The most venomous animal on the planet isn't a snake, a spider, or a scorpion; it's a snail-a cone snail, to be precise. The Conus genus boasts a large variety of marine snails that have adopted an equally diverse assortment of venoms. Online today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers report an especially interesting addition to the animals' arsenal: insulin. According to the paper, this marks the first time insulin has been discovered as a component of venom.

This animation describes insulin resistance, an underlying cause of type 2 diabetes. It explains the roles of glucose and the hormone insulin in our body. Symptoms of diabetes are reviewed and various health complications that type 2 diabetes can lead to if left untreated.

This case study explores the topics of diffusion, osmosis, membrane transport, and the physiological significance of glucose and insulin in the human body. The story begins with a high school athlete, Timmy, who is incredibly efficient at metabolizing carbohydrates for energy; this is where the reader is introduced to normal carbohydrate digestion and metabolism for energy within skeletal muscle cells. As Timmy enters college, he withdraws from sports and physical activity but continues to consume massive amounts of highly soluble carbohydrates, resulting in insulin resistance and ultimately type II diabetes. Throughout the case students are prompted with conceptual questions and interactive figures that require the application and transfer of information they have been introduced to. Originally written for intermediate and advanced physiology courses that cover foundational and complex concepts in science, the case is also appropriate for courses in intermediate biology, nutritional sciences, animal sciences, and exercise sciences.

animation on insulin prduction 4:12

2 min video A quick tutorial, showing how we use restriction enzymes to cut out a desired gene from one organism, and insert it into the plasmid of a bacterium. This allows massive production of the desired protein (in this case the hormone: insulin) in a relatively short amount of time.

Recombinant DNA technology for  human insulin AAT for emphysema GMOs for commercial value or simulate human conditions in animal models.

Animation showing genetic engineering for insulin

2 minute video interview

In 3 minutes, this video tells the pertinent story of how recombinant DNA technology was used to produce human -- or synthetic -- insulin in large amounts and how it became the first biotechnology treatment approved by the FDA.

3 minutes to understand how important insulin is for your body

UCSF Diabetes Center researchers explain the basics of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Faculty interviewed include Dr. Matthias Hebrok, Dr. Michael German, Dr. Suneil Koliwad, Dr. Stephen Gitelman.

UCSF Diabetes Center researchers explain the basics of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Faculty interviewed include Dr. Matthias Hebrok, Dr. Michael German, Dr. Suneil Koliwad, Dr. Stephen Gitelman.

3:32 minute video about transcription and translation of insulin

Children with obese fathers have different epigenetic markings on the gene for insulin-type growth factor 2 (IGF2)-which is important during fetal growth and development-than children with fathers of normal weight.

Diabetes has a history dating back to Ancient Greece. Our treatment of it, however, is more recent and was originally made possible with the help of man's best friend. Due to physiological traits shared with humans, dogs have saved countless lives through the discovery of insulin. Duncan C. Ferguson shares the story of the canine's great contribution to man -- and how we can all reap the medical benefits.

"When you are diabetic, you have to check your blood sugar levels. The doctor tells you to do it four times a day. So you prick your finger. A tiny drop of blood appears. You put it on the tester and within five seconds you get the result," says Timothée, who suffers from diabetes. Normally, it's the job of the pancreas to control the levels of sugar in the blood by producing a hormone called insulin.

2:30 video A video from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offering information on the basics of diabetes.

2:25 This video describes how scientists clone genes but uses easy to understand language.