Editing Beckman Research Institute (section)

===Diabetes===

Researchers associated with the Beckman Research Institute are credited with starting the [[biotechnology]] industry.<ref name=Peterson/> [[Keiichi Itakura]] and [[Arthur Riggs (geneticist)|Arthur Riggs]], with [[Genentech]] scientist [[Herbert Boyer]], were the first to develop human recombinant gene products.  Their techniques were used to successfully create synthetic [[somatostatin]] in ''[[E. coli]]'', the first expression of a human protein in bacteria, in 1977. The techniques and tools of genetic synthesis were standardizable and applicable to many similar problems.  The group successfully reported the expression of human [[insulin]] in bacteria by 1978.<ref name=Gelijns>{{cite book|editor-last1=Gelijns|editor-first1=Annetine C.|editor-last2=Rosenberg|editor-first2=Nathan|editor-last3=Committee on Technological Innovation in Medicine, Institute of Medicine|title=The sources of innovation : universities and industry|date=1994|publisher=National Academy Press|location=Washington, D.C.|isbn=0309051894|chapter-url=http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309051894&page=167|chapter=Incentives and Focus in University and Industrial Research: The Case of Synthetic Insulin|last=Stern|first=Scott|pages=[https://archive.org/details/sourcesofmedical0005unse/page/157 157–187]|url=https://archive.org/details/sourcesofmedical0005unse/page/157}}</ref>

Barry Forman identified the first new steroid-like hormone in 30 years, androstanol, a hormone with a different mechanism of action from others, that may be useful in treatment of diabetes.<ref name=Salk1998>{{cite web|title=New Steroid Hormone has Allure Of Its Own|website=Salk Institute for Biological Studies|date=October 8, 1998|url=http://www.salk.edu/news/pressrelease_details.php?press_id=53|access-date=May 13, 2015|archive-date=July 26, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240726162219/https://www.salk.edu/news-release/new-steroid-hormone-has-allure-of-its-own/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=LATIMES1998>{{cite news|title=Researchers Identify First New Steroid-Like Hormone in 30 Years|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-oct-08-me-30388-story.html|access-date=13 May 2015|work=Los Angeles Times|date=October 8, 1998|archive-date=18 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518141605/http://articles.latimes.com/1998/oct/08/local/me-30388|url-status=live}}</ref>

Fouad Kandeel leads clinical trials testing the use of islet transplantation to treat patients who are incapacitated by severe type 1 diabetes.<ref name=Moran>{{cite news|last1=Moran|first1=Gwen|title=The California Cure Harvesting Hope: Dr. Fouad Kandeel|url=http://www.latimesmagazine.com/the-california-cure-harvesting-hope-dr-fouad-kandeel.html|access-date=13 May 2015|work=Los Angeles Times Magazine|date=2012}}</ref>

Bart Roep leads immune intervention strategies (including gene therapy, stem cell therapy and bone marrow transportation{{what|date=May 2021}}) with the ultimate goal to cure type 1 diabetes.