I can extract side effects.

Chapter 195 Chinese and Foreign Biohackers Join Forces, Open Source Insulin Project
Zhang Han has been enjoying himself recently, and there are many good news.

At the beginning, Gao Jun's genetically disease-resistant pigs made a shocking debut, attracting fans all over the Internet.

Experts, scholars and breeding groups have conducted on-the-spot investigations. It is self-evident that this pig can really survive the ravages of African swine fever.

Many authoritative experts in the industry have endorsed the safety of disease-resistant pigs, and breeding capital has also joined in to express their strong support.

Although it has not yet officially received commercial approval from the Ministry of Agriculture, it is not far from that day.

It can be said to be a good start since the establishment of 'Infinite Gene'.

Then came the cloned cat, and the speed of light made Li Chengmin, a rookie internet celebrity, popular.

The first video he posted of himself cloning a cat has exceeded 5000 million views and [-]+ comments.

Later, he posted several popular science videos on biohackers, which were still very hard-core, gained countless fans, and became the top [-] Up hosts of station B.

According to Li Chengmin, he adheres to the basic principles of biohacking and is determined to be a hardcore technology up master. He will never accept any business orders for pet cloning, but he will teach everyone how to clone animals in the video.

In the group, two crouching dragons and phoenix chicks appeared one after another, and the group 'Infinite Gene' also stole the limelight and became popular all over the Internet.

All of a sudden, biohackers became synonymous with fame and fortune, cool black technology.

Countless interested young people sent private messages to Zhang Han, wanting to join this group and become a biohacker.

Zhang Han specially applied for a biohacker sub-forum on Longtu's forum, and biohackers from all over the world soon gathered here.

The newcomers are here to get started, the bosses are here to share what they have learned throughout their lives, and the veterans are here to answer questions and solve problems. The forum is full of a harmonious and friendly atmosphere.

During this period, due to the surge in demand for laboratories, Longtu has opened several shared laboratories, all of which are near first-tier cities or second-tier cities, such as Jin City, which is half an hour away from Beijing, and Zhuhai City, which is not far from Yangcheng. City, as well as Wu City and Cheng City, finally achieved the achievement of national flowering.

From the site selection, it can be clearly seen that cheap and affordable is the most important, followed by convenient transportation, so that services can be provided at the most favorable price.

And the shared laboratory in Kunming has become a sacred place for biohackers across the country.

Even if there are other options, biohackers from other places will still come to the laboratory in Kunming to check in, and at the same time gather with colleagues in Haishi to exchange and learn.

Zhang Han didn't know that his group was also popular overseas after receiving a call from his former friend Josiah from Wudu.

Josiah, who appeared on the video call, has not changed at all. She still has purple hair, metal earrings, and a biological DIY T-shirt. She is smiling and greets Zhang Han warmly.

"Dear Zhang, long time no see, your name has spread throughout the biohacker circles of Europa and Eagle Country."

"I never dreamed that the young people I introduced into the circle would make such achievements in Huaxia. Haha."

Josiah raised his thumb and couldn't help admiring: "The disease-resistant pigs and cloned cats are really excellent. They are a great publicity for us biohackers. Your team members are all great, and I can't wait to get to know them." They're gone."

"Of course," he shrugged. "That Mr. Li has already become famous on Youtube. His videos are posted everywhere. I'm surprised that they haven't been deleted yet."

Zhang Han smiled reservedly: "Maybe it hasn't violated the fundamental interests of the company. The reaction of the pet cloning company in Yingguo is still a bit slow, but they will react sooner or later."

He looked at Josiah, showed a smug smile, and said, "Thank you for your compliment, but you definitely didn't call me specifically to compliment me, if I remember correctly, we just emailed you last week .”

Josiah laughed loudly: "Zhang, you really don't look like a Chinese person, you are as straightforward as the people from the Eagle Country, yes, I really have something to do with you this time, a friend from the Eagle Country wants to meet you and invite you Join a very important project. I'll pull him into the video and let's chat."

Immediately, a stranger named Denek applied to join, and Zhang Han clicked agree without hesitation.

A middle-aged man's face appeared on the screen, with a rectangular face, black hair and brown eyes, wearing black-rimmed glasses, and a serious expression, resembling an expert and scholar.

"Hi, this is Dr. Denek. He is a low-key doctor of protein biochemistry. Although he looks serious like an old man, he is actually very young. He is only 33 years old this year. Three years ago, he devoted himself to Come to the bio-DIY event and become an excellent bio-hacker, he is very famous in the bio-hacking circle of Eagle Country, at least more famous than me..."

Josiah shook his purple hair and started to introduce.

It's a pity that there was too much nonsense, and Zhang Han frowned when he heard it. Before he could say anything, Deneke decisively interrupted Josiah's introduction, and smiled at Zhang Han.

"It's a great honor to meet you, Mr. Zhang. Your name has been very famous recently. That's right, I'm in charge of an open source insulin project in Eagle Country. At present, there are 25 committed volunteers. We are looking for biohackers from all over the world. s help."

Deneker articulated and coherently described the so-called open-source insulin project in detail.

This project started 3 years ago. In a community laboratory called Biospace in Oakland, they proposed the concept of open source insulin. .

In Eagle Country, insulin is manufactured and sold by the big three pharmaceutical companies Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi.

These three Eagle-country pharmaceutical companies have recently raised the price of insulin to [-] dollars for a vial, which is far beyond the range that the people of Eagle-country can afford.

In this context, biohackers stood up and began to fight against the monopoly profits of pharmaceutical companies.

Insulin is a synthetic hormone that 750 million diabetics must inject daily to stay alive.

The goal of the Open Source Insulin Project is to replicate this insulin and publish the manufacturing techniques and protocols to safely produce it.

The ultimate goal of the project is to activate a cooperative network owned by both patients and workers.The network will produce small batches of insulin, which will then be made available to diabetics for about $[-] a vial.

At the very least, the Open Source Insulin Project wants to demonstrate that such drug deciphering can be successful, while demystifying the pharmaceutical process.

Deneker was first drawn to the open-source insulin project because he found working in a community lab interesting.

He loves biological techniques, but suffers from the academic pressure to publish.

He reminded Zhang Han that nearly half of adults in Eagle Country suffer from diabetes or high blood sugar. However, there is no affordable insulin product in the Eagle Country market, and there is no price limit mechanism. This is not like Maple Leaf Country and Europa, and even far away Far inferior to Huaxia.

"If one of the big three wants to raise prices, they will all raise prices because they can."

He pulls out a page of charts showing the exponential curve of insulin prices.

From 1996, Lilly released Humalog, which is Lilly's own synthetic insulin, and the price of a 21ml vial was $25; fifteen times.

Sanofi's Lantus and Novo Nordisk's Novolog also raised prices.

People with type [-] diabetes typically need two to three vials of insulin each month.Even if they have insurance, they may not be able to reimburse all expenses.

Three years ago, a study organized by researchers at the Yale University School of Medicine found that one out of every four diabetic patients reduced their insulin dosage, did not supplement the medicines prescribed by the prescription, and used less than the prescription. risk of kidney disease, blindness and death.

When Deneker said this, he was silent for three seconds, and then said indignantly: "There is no technical reason behind the high price of insulin, it is purely the result of greed. Insulin is easy to produce and the market is so big. It should catch a cold with Tylenol It’s just as cheap as the film.”

The Open Source Insulin Project plans to use the protocol in the published paper to genetically engineer two organisms (yeast and E. coli) to produce insulin, the way pharmaceutical companies typically do.

Half a year ago, the project team announced that they had achieved preliminary results. They had successfully inserted a targeted gene into E. coli cells, allowing them to subsequently produce a protein that can be converted into insulin.

The next step is to examine the samples using mass spectrometry and other techniques.

When Deneker mentioned the development, Josiah interrupted abruptly: "I recently opened a drug-testing lab and am interested in testing some of the samples from the open-source insulin project."

"This project is a great opportunity to see if there is a future for ordinary people to do science, but," he shrugged, "have you considered that it may be more convenient for people to buy these life-saving drugs on the black market or abroad. "

Deneker sighed: "Insulin is available on the black market. But not everyone has access, and the system remains the same."

He rubbed his face to let the deep wrinkles unwind, and then said: "Our goal should be to change its production model. This kind of situation that big pharmaceutical companies should not use people's pain to make money, we can definitely Design a better system."

"However," admits Deneker, "the project is currently facing resistance from all sides, not only from lobbyists in the pharmaceutical industry, but also from its own critics."

"Some members say that DIY drugs are like crowdfunding sites in the medical world, a sign of a broken system that will lead to a desperate dead end, because this accumulated power and anger can be used against politicians and used to fight for universal health care. Assure."

“However, in the face of the profound flaws in the Eagle Nation’s healthcare system, the Open Source Insulin Project’s solution is somewhat promising. We are considering teaming up with local hospitals and pharmacies to try to integrate our solution with mainstream institutional practices, Hopefully in the not-too-distant future we will be able to provide patients with cheaper insulin."

“The decentralized production of this standard drug in small, community-based laboratories may be a way of ensuring that we don’t run into drug shortages when traditional supply lines are disrupted. You know, drug shortages happen all the time, even in the Moments of crisis happen, and if you're living on drugs, shortages can be fatal."

“If you have a community lab close by, you avoid the risk of delayed production lines and temporary border closures. If you know you can go to a community lab and get a month’s supply of insulin for a small fee Take the prescribed amount, and you'll breathe a sigh of relief."

"The big question is whether open-source insulin can meet the FDA's extremely stringent mandatory safety requirements. That's something we're constantly working on, trying to improve the manufacturing process so people can make it in a safer way."

"It's a typical Eagle Country project," Deneker concluded. "We have this culture of hard work, where people are encouraged to find their own individualistic solutions, so this project can do that."

After Zhang Han listened to it, he couldn't help admiring the efforts made by Deneke and his group to fight against sky-high prices of drugs.

He asked curiously: "Dr. Deneker, you are a group of great people. I admire your efforts for the open source insulin project, but I still don't quite understand why you are looking for me? In other words In other words, we are far away across the ocean, how can I help you?"

Deneke's expression suddenly became excited, and every wrinkle stretched out because of the excitement, like a fungus with soaked hair.

"Dear Zhang, biohackers in Huaxia are very famous recently. I saw Li's cat clone video. I admire his technology and free spirit very much. He has become the idol of biohackers in Eagle Country."

"This kind of spirit of pulling down profiteering enterprises by one's own strength is really more of the spirit of Eagle Nation than the people of Eagle Nation."

"Please express my respect to him. In addition, Huaxia also has a great pharmaceutical company. Sanqing Pharmaceutical is the dream place of our biologists. This pharmaceutical company has not only issued price limits in the pharmaceutical industry in recent months It also supports patients to make their own medicines, which has achieved what we dream of.”

"Moreover, Sanqing has also established many shared laboratories, which is what we have been doing. My respect for Mr. Wei is as endless as the water of the Mississippi River. I am going to end the open source insulin project. After that, immediately set off for a pilgrimage to Kunshi in China."

"As for my purpose of looking for you," Deneke's expression suddenly darkened: "We still have some technical difficulties that we have not overcome. Since there are not enough volunteers in Eagle Country, I want to seek the help of Chinese biohackers."

"I also downloaded and registered the Longtu app. Since I can't authenticate with my real name, I can only browse the forums, but I can't speak. But I saw that Huaxia's biohacking skills are very good, and everyone is very hardworking."

He showed an embarrassed smile: "I wonder if we can recruit some volunteers in Huaxia?"

Zhang Han pondered for a moment, but didn't say anything dead: "Well, I'll post this on the forum. If anyone is interested, I will give them your contact information. We Chinese people always help others. If you ask for help, I believe someone will lend a helping hand."

He still wanted to promote the cooperation between the two parties. After all, the Eagle Country biological hackers asked China for help. This is a very long-standing thing in itself, which can greatly enhance the national pride. When it is publicized, the media and the public will not be shocked. All fall.

Besides, being able to communicate with overseas biohackers and gain the initiative is of great help to improve everyone's technology and status, not to mention that the project itself is also very technical. In short, this cooperation is definitely not a loss, it is a win-win situation.

Deneker was also very satisfied: "Dear Zhang, thank you, I look forward to your reply."

(End of this chapter)