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Growing Insulin

McLuhanesque writes "The Globe and Mail reports that a Calgary biotech firm has developed a process to turn genetically modified safflower oil into human insulin in commercial quantities. The process reduces capital costs by 70% and product cost by 40%. 'SemBioSys says it can make more than one kilogram of human insulin per acre of safflower production. That amount could treat 2,500 diabetic patients for one year and, in turn, meet the world's total projected insulin demand in 2010 with less than 16,000 acres of safflower production.'"

2 of 251 comments (clear)

  1. A top ten lists for all the diabetics out there by Frogbert · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    The Top 10 Signs Your Glucose Meter Sucks:

    10. the results are displayed in roman numerals

    9. it's bigger than a laptop computer

    8. it requires a pint of blood to get a single reading

    7. runs on a battery...a car battery

    6. was designed and assembled by Thomas Edison

    5. the brand name is "Numerous Touch Ultra Dumb"

    4. test strips cost $500 a piece...$499 at Walmart

    3. results take so long you get your FBG just in time to go to bed

    2. the control solution that came with it is real blood

    And the #1 Sign Your Glucose Meter Sucks:

    1. you try to download the data and it takes you to a porn site!

  2. careful with articles like this by Rooked_One · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    the pharmco's will want to slashdot slashdot. After all their labs are expensive buildings, not fields of plants