Insulin: The Crooked Timber: A History from Thick Brown Muck to Wall Street Gold

Before the discovery of insulin, a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes was a death sentence. One hundred years after a milestone medical discovery, ‘Insulin: The Crooked Timber’ tells the story of how insulin was transformed from what one clinician called ‘thick brown muck’ into the very first drug to be produced using genetic engineering, one which would earn the founders of the US biotech company Genentech a small fortune. Taking the reader on a fascinating journey, starting with the discovery of insulin in the 1920s through to the present day, ‘Insulin: The Crooked Timber’ reveals a story of monstrous egos, toxic career rivalries, and a few unsung heroes such as two little known scientists whose work on wool fibres, carried out in a fume-filled former stable, not only proved to be crucial in unravelling the puzzle of insulin but ushered in a revolution in biology. As the world pins its hopes on effective and lasting vaccines against Covid-19, these lessons from the story of insulin have never been more relevant.

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Date Published: 2022

Book Condition: Near fine hardcover in a dust jacket showing minimal edge wear.

ISBN: 9780192855381