Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have developed a breakthrough method to produce human insulin using Pseudomonas fluorescens, a safe and highly efficient bacterial system.
This pioneering work, led by Veeranki Venkata Dasu, Professor and former Head of the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, aims to make insulin production more affordable and accessible. The team also includes Ansuman Sahoo, Prabir Kumar Das, MSRC Murthy, and Sanjukta Patra.
This novel technology has secured two Indian patents:
Patent No. 568947 (Application No. 202431045821, granted on 22-07-2025)
Patent No. 536416 (Application No. 202331058235, granted on 01-05-2024)
The findings have been published in reputed journals, including the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules and the Journal of Biotechnology.
Diabetes affects over 537 million adults globally, and the International Diabetes Federation estimates that by 2050, one in eight adults will live with the condition.
Insulin is a critical life-saving hormone for people with Type 1 Diabetes and many with Type 2 Diabetes. However, current production methods are expensive, complex, and yield low output, making access challenging for many.
“Creating a novel expression system for manufacturing insulin is one of the solutions. A bioprocess technology is developed using Genetic, Metabolic and Biochemical Engineering approaches for recombinant human insulin production using Pseudomonas fluorescens, a BSL-1 microorganism. The developed expression system is not only capable of insulin production but also opens an avenue to produce other therapeutic proteins as well as industrial enzymes.”— Veeranki Venkata Dasu
“The most common method of producing insulin is by using a bacterium called Escherichia coli, or E. coli. Though effective, these bacteria produce insulin in the form of insoluble lumps and require complex processing to make the insulin usable. Other systems, such as yeast and mammalian cells, have also been used to produce insulin, but come with certain limitations, making them less sustainable. Food-grade compounds can be used in place of toxic inducers in the established expression system.”— Ansuman Sahoo
This marks the first successful demonstration of human insulin production in a soluble form using Pseudomonas fluorescens.
This approach reduces complex purification steps and lowers production costs, while using a safe bacterium capable of producing large amounts of soluble protein without harmful by-products — making it ideal for large-scale insulin production.
With the rising demand for insulin, especially with emerging non-invasive delivery methods like oral insulin, this innovation could make the drug far more affordable and accessible.
The team believes this technology is a major step toward equitable healthcare solutions, ensuring that life-saving insulin reaches more people worldwide.