Optimizing Ultra-Fast Acting Insulin Formulations for Next-Gen Automated Insulin Delivery Systems

To develop a fully automated insulin delivery (AID) system for Type 1 diabetes, stable high-concentration insulin formulations with rapid dissociation are required. This project addresses these challenges by using molecular chaperones to reduce insulin aggregation, the clumping of destabilized molecules. Leveraging expertise in protein folding, analytical chemistry, and material science in the Pennathur Lab, we first characterized insulin aggregation kinetics at high concentrations using Thioflavin T fluorescence. To improve accuracy and limit probe interference with the molecular chaperone, we are validating Congo Red as an alternative dye. Through conducting numerous replication experiments using Congo Red across varying insulin concentrations, we aim to demonstrate reduced aggregation under controlled conditions with the addition of molecular chaperones, supporting the development of more stable and effective insulin formulations.