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.'"

could someone do back-of-envelope calculation

[rubycodez]

on how many diabetics are *produced* from an acre of sugar cane or corn used to make corn syrup. Just so we can see if it all balances out.....

Let me be the first..

[Brickwall]

As a type II, non-insulin dependent (yet) diabetic, I for one welcome our new safflower overlords.

Now if they could only...

[mbstone]

...implant the insulin-producing gene into Cannabis sativa L., there would be a product. Can I have some ice cream?

Re:Now if they could only...

[Anonymous Coward]

Mmm.. Cannibis....

Re:*Cough*

[rs79]

The real problem with this stuff is people that have been given it track the sun all day.

Re:You are wrong

[Fred_A]

How could you eat a relative ??

That's just sick !

Save the bananas !

Re:*Cough*

[indifferent children]

That's not funny. I suffer from diabetic-phototropism, you insensitive clod!

Re:This isnt a breakthrough, it's genetic engineer

[indifferent children]

And why is it right? It may be obvious to you, but please spell it out to me. It's like saying that "homosexualtiy is obviously not right" - it means nothing except "I don't like it, and I feel self-righteous about that".

It's in Leviticus: "A restriction enzyme that touches a plant chromosome shall not touch an animal chromosome, lest there be an abomination." You can't argue with a commandment like that. Why do you hate G-d?