Biohacking Insulin - Best Story of the Bunch

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This is the best of the articles I have read on the subject. Interesting idea. I probably won’t be going down this path, but at least they are doing something.

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I’ve been part of OpenInsulin’s google group for a little while now :slightly_smiling_face: I haven’t been able to make it out to Oakland to attend a meeting in person thus far but they’re definitely doing some cool stuff. Though I would be lying if I said I wasn’t kinda concerned that Anthony intends to just inject the insulin into himself to test its efficacy.

Counter Culture Labs, where they operate out of, is also just a really cool idea, essentially a microbiology/synthetic biology lab that anyone can become a member of if they pay the fees and do the required safety trainings. As someone currently working in an academic lab filled mostly with equipment bought second-hand, I applaud their ability to pull something like that together

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Really cool that you are part of their group. I have often thought of putting a small lab together. You can buy things like GC-MS, and almost everything short of an NMR for 20 - 35% of the new price for really good equipment. But have never pulled the trigger.

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I like the idea too but I sort of wonder about the implementation and actual decisions given what the need is in the world, if that makes sense. We don’t need to use open insulin but I think the idea of a public domain insulin that could be made very cheaply and is as good as Humalog or Novolog is certainly intriguing.

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Very interesting story, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable using such insulin unless I had no other option. Who ensures that every batch of insulin has the exact same concentration? A small mistake in the procedure can have serious consequences. Without external monitoring of the production process, I would find it very hard to trust the purity and safety of insulin made by some DIY guys.

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I agree, although if there was an activity test where you could assure things batch to batch and dilute to the proper concentration that would be interesting. I would be more worried about the purity.