How can bacteria produce human insulin on an industrial scale? What are the other forms of insulin made available by the pharmaceutical industry?
Bacteria do not naturally synthesize insulin. It is possible though to implant human genetic material containing the insulin gene into the bacterial DNA. The mutant bacteria then multiply and make human insulin. The insulin is isolated and purified for later commercialization. This biotechnology is called as the recombinant DNA technology.
Besides human insulin the pharmaceutical industry also makes insulin to be used by humans made from the pancreas of pigs and cows.