Insulin - The Crooked Timber

A History from Thick Brown Muck to Wall Street Gold

Kersten T. Hall

Celebrates the centenary of discovery of insulin in 1921 and first use of insulin in humans in 1922
Provides a rich narrative following both the discovery of insulin and its production using genetic engineering
Includes important lessons for society as we face the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath

Insulin - The Crooked Timber

A History from Thick Brown Muck to Wall Street Gold

Kersten T. Hall

Description

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.

Yet when Canadian doctor Frederick Banting was told in 1923 that he had won the Nobel Prize for this life-saving discovery, he was furious. For the prize had not been awarded to him alone - but jointly with a man whom he felt had no right to this honour. The human story behind this discovery is one of ongoing political and scientific controversy.

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.

It was the author's own shocking diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes that prompted him to sit down and write this book, but this story has lessons for us all about what technology can - and more importantly cannot - do for us. 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.

Insulin - The Crooked Timber

A History from Thick Brown Muck to Wall Street Gold

Kersten T. Hall

Preface
Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth?
Introduction
Taming the Tiger
1:The Pissing Evil - a colourful description of diabetes by 17th century English physician Thomas Willis
2:Thick Brown Muck - Canadian scientist Fred Banting wins the Nobel Prize for the discovery of insulin... and is furious
3:The Vision of Ezekiel - clinicians are stunned at the power of insulin to save lives, but it proves to be a double-edged sword
4:A Greek Tragedy - German clinician Georg Zuelzer snatches defeat from the jaws of victory
5:The Wasp's Nest - insulin proves to be a poisoned chalice for its discoverers
6:Be Careful What You Wish For - the case of Romanian scientist Nicolai Paulesco underlines the truth of an old proverb
7:'In Praise of Wool' - the humble wool fibre sets in motion a revolution in biochemistry
8:A Boastful Undertaking - a discovery made in a fume-filled stable offers the key to unlocking insulin
9:The Blobs That Won a Nobel Prize - or two, all thanks to some coloured spots on a piece of filter paper
10:The Prophet in the Labyrinth - biochemist Erwin Chargaff helps unlock the secrets of DNA, but fears where this may lead
11:The Clone Wars - a conflict in which insulin proves to be a decisive weapon
12:Wall Street Gold - in an act of modern day alchemy, insulin makes stock market history
13:'Don't You Want Cheap Insulin?' - What is it exactly that we want from science? And does the story of insulin have any lessons for us today?
Bibliography
Figures List and Acknowledgements for Images
Acknowledgements
End notes

Insulin - The Crooked Timber

A History from Thick Brown Muck to Wall Street Gold

Kersten T. Hall

Author Information

Kersten T. Hall, School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science, University of Leeds

Kersten Hall graduated with an honours degree in biochemistry from St. Anne's College, University of Oxford, and completed a PhD in gene regulation in adenoviruses before working for the School of Medicine at the University of Leeds. He then hung up his lab coat and began to write about science. His book 'The Man in the Monkeynut Coat' (OUP 2014) tells the story of pioneering physicist William Astbury whose research into wool fibres led him to make the very first studies of the structure of DNA. The book was shortlisted for the 2015 British Society for the History of Science Dingle Prize and was featured on a list of 'Books of 2014' in The Guardian. He is currently a visiting fellow in the School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science at the University of Leeds where his research concerns the history of molecular biology but after a shocking diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes ten years ago he turned to the story of insulin.

Insulin - The Crooked Timber

A History from Thick Brown Muck to Wall Street Gold

Kersten T. Hall

Reviews and Awards

"[uses] a blend of profound research, lively writing and personal knowledge of diabetes" - Andrew Robinson, Nature

"The lengthy bibliography and endnotes are a testament to the extensive research that has been carried out to produce this fascinating account." - Arpan K. Banerjee, Hektoen International

"The story of insulin over the past 100 years, as the historian of science (and former molecular biologist) Kersten Hall shows in this dense and fascinating book, is also a microcosm of developments in science more widely, and of changes in the politics and economics of healthcare.[...] The pleasures of this book lie mainly in the storytelling detail and the gossipy richness of the lives, friendships and feuds glimpsed in the hubbub of decades pursuing the improvement of human health." - Steven Poole, Daily Telegraph

"A fascinating book by an author with excellent credentials, well written and meticulously researched. " - Geoff Gill, University of Liverpool

"A timely book, pulling together many interesting stories about the scientific side of insulin. " - John Pickup, King's College London School of Medicine

"Reviews the events around the discovery of insulin in an original and well-documented manner. " - Pierre Lefèbvre, University of Liège

"Written in a clear and engaging style, the book provides a fresh take on historic events and also delves into aspects that have not been adequately explored previously. " - Jeffrey Friedman, Rockefeller University