Published : 17/09/2025

On 17 September 1965, after more than six years of unremitting effort, a Chinese research group finally succeeded in artificially synthesising crystalline bovine insulin for the first time in the world.

At that time, the former State Science and Technology Commission on two separate occasions organised renowned scientists to conduct scientific authentication, which proved that the artificially synthesised bovine insulin possessed the same biological vitality and crystalline form as natural bovine insulin.

Within the pancreases of humans and animals, there are cells distributed in an islet-like shape that secrete a hormone called insulin, which has the function of lowering blood sugar and regulating the body's glucose metabolism.

Insulin is a protein, and proteins are the main functional substances of living organisms. Life activities are primarily manifested through proteins.

Since 1889, after Oskar Minkowski from Germany first discovered the link between the pancreas and diabetes, there has been continuous research into insulin, this "mysterious endocrine substance" of the pancreas.

At the end of December 1958, China officially launched research into the artificial synthesis of insulin.

As a protein, insulin is composed of two chains, A and B, comprising a total of 51 amino acids of 17 different types. To artificially synthesise insulin, one must first link the amino acids in a specific sequence to form the A chain and the B chain, and then join the two chains, A and B, together; it could be described as a complex and arduous task.

At that time, the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Peking University, formed a joint research group.

Building on previous research into the structure and peptide synthesis of insulin, they began to explore the synthesis of insulin using chemical methods.

After more than six years of unremitting effort by the Chinese scientific research team, they finally succeeded in artificially synthesising crystalline bovine insulin on 17 September 1965, setting a world precedent.

The synthesis of artificial bovine insulin marked a crucial step forward for humanity on the journey of understanding life and exploring its mysteries.

It promoted the development of life sciences, ushered in the era of artificial protein synthesis, and had tremendous significance and impact on the history of basic research in China, especially in biochemistry.