China people are smart, which enhances the self-confidence of the Chinese nation and proves that China can compete with western developed countries in scientific research and even make world-class achievements on the basis of poverty.
Over the past 40 years, there have been thousands of reports in various forms around this work. However, in the 67 years of research, there are still some little-known stories, among which the "Battle of the Great Corps" around 1960 may be the least excavated.
Scientist-centered
The synthetic insulin project was officially launched at the end of February. Because of the great difficulty and workload, and my lack of experience in organic synthesis and lack of manpower, the sponsor of the project, the Institute of Biochemistry of Chinese Academy of Sciences, has requested cooperation with the Institute of Organic Chemistry of Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Organic Teaching and Research Section of the Department of Chemistry of Peking University. The institute refused to join, and Peking University quickly agreed. After several rounds of negotiation, in March, 1959, Peking University Institute of Biochemistry signed a cooperation agreement with the Department of Chemistry. 1958 the institute of biochemistry assisted the newly established biochemistry teaching and research section of the biology department of Fudan university and also wanted to participate in insulin synthesis. Reluctantly, the Institute of Biochemistry only agreed to let it participate in the preparation of natural insulin, and did not list it as a formal cooperation unit.
Peking University's related work was led by Professor Xing, director of the Organic Teaching and Research Section, and Professor Zhang Pang, head of the research group. Together with four young teachers such as Lu Depei and four graduate students such as Ji, he led more than ten fresh graduates majoring in organic science to carry out synthesis research in the form of graduation thesis. The Institute of Biochemistry has set up five research groups, which are headed by Niu Jingyi, Cao and Shen respectively. They each took a group of young researchers to explore the road separately-only Zou Chenglu's natural insulin disassembly group and Niu Jingyi's insulin peptide chain organic synthesis group survived because of successful exploration.
After a year's exploration, by the end of 1959, although they failed to complete the insulin work as planned earlier, they also achieved several important achievements such as the disassembly and combination of natural insulin. This not only basically solved the problem of the general path of the synthesis work, but also left some leading cadres with the impression that only the "peptide stacking" technology was left in this research.
Peking University launched a mass movement.
At this time, the "anti-rightist" movement came at us. Just as the "Great Leap Forward" movement led to the topic of insulin synthesis, the "anti-right deviation" movement in 1959 also influenced the research methods of insulin work. As a direct fuse, it brings a scientific research method with the characteristics of the times to insulin work-"large corps combat".
For many years, Peking University has been in the whirlpool center of the times. This time, it took the lead in responding to the call of its superiors and launched a vigorous mass movement at the earliest. At the end of 1959, the students of chemistry department, under the leadership of the newly transferred Party branch secretary of the department, launched a fierce criticism on their teachers, criticizing their lack of self-confidence, complacency, step by step, fame and fortune, pursuit of "crawling", small collectivism, selfish departmentalism, scientific research mysticism and "dullness".
One of the key results is that the leading group of insulin synthesis has been completely reorganized: in the original leadership, Zhang Pang was expelled from the insulin synthesis group, and Xing, who stayed behind, no longer had a say in this work because he was "not active in insulin synthesis". 1958 young teachers who graduated from the school, in charge of professional work; 1in April, 960, more than ten students graduated three months in advance and joined the leadership team as members of the "battle group" party branch; The new party branch secretary of the department directly leads them. Under the command of these new teams lacking scientific research experience, about 300 "revolutionary teachers and students" from the chemistry department and a few biology departments of Peking University participated in this scientific research war, and a large number of young teachers and students in grades 3, 4 and 5 who didn't even know the amino acid symbols became the "vanguard" of insulin research and became the "main force of scientific research". They "never attended the meeting from scratch" and "don't know how to study, but learn Chairman Mao's works when they encounter difficulties".
In the eyes of these people, synthetic peptides is a very simple thing: "When two polypeptides are poured together, it is called synthesizing a new polypeptide-don't ask if there is any reaction, and don't ask what the specific product is." Although Xing and other "old" scientists and young teachers who are more "right" don't agree with those practices, they dare not say that they can only carry out their work according to the instructions of the group leader and the group leader. Results The progress of Peking University was extremely fast, "4, 7, 5 and 5 peptides were completed in just two weeks". Two weeks later, in February, 1960 and 17, "The 12 peptide on insulin A chain was synthesized simultaneously by two methods"; Subsequently, the A chain was synthesized on April 22nd.
Inspired by the mass movement of the Department of Chemistry of Peking University, 1960+654381late October, "on the basis of anti-rightist rectification", the Institute of Biochemistry also began to deploy a large number of staff to support the original two research groups. After "ten days and nights of hard work", they also "synthesized B-chain 30 peptide" before April 20.
Fudan University joins the competition.
While the scientific research "competition" between the Department of Chemistry and the Institute of Biochemistry in Peking University was in full swing, the Biology Department of Fudan University unexpectedly came in. 1960 65438+1On October 30th, with the support of Shanghai Municipal Committee, Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission and Fudan University Party Committee, a member of a Party branch of Fudan University's Biology Department organized 60 or 70 teachers and students (2/3 of them were 1-3 grade students) to start a new stove and independently plan the artificial synthesis of insulin. On March 25th, they organized 120 teachers and students, including about 80 students majoring in biochemistry in the biology department of Fudan University, to "learn by doing" and carry out insulin synthesis in full swing day and night. The method is similar to that of students in the chemistry department of Peking University. They don't separate and identify intermediate products, but try their best to catch up with them. At that time, Associate Professor Shen, director of the biochemistry teaching and research section of the Department of Biology, was an expert, but she was put aside and had no say in her work. Results Fudan University reported that the progress was also very fast, "30 peptides of B chain were completed on April 22nd".
1960 On April 19-26, the third academic conference of China Academy of Sciences with the important theme of stabilizing basic research work was held in Shanghai. At this meeting, the drama of insulin synthesis starring the Institute of Biochemistry of Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Department of Chemistry of Peking University and the Department of Biology of Fudan University reached a climax: they presented gifts to the conference of their departments, and announced the preliminary synthesis of artificial insulin B chain, A chain and B and A chain respectively! Representatives of Peking University also brought their own synthetic A chain by plane. Hearing these exciting news, Nie, Guo Moruo and other leaders were very excited. They not only gave a warm speech, but also held a grand celebration banquet for all relevant personnel in the Sino-Soviet Friendship Building that night, leaving only Du Yucang and Zhang to assemble teams separately and conduct the total synthesis of artificial insulin A chain and artificial insulin B chain in the laboratory. Nie and everyone were waiting there, asking them to report the good news as soon as they got the result. Xinhua News Agency also wrote a report entitled "Uncovering the Mystery of Life Phenomenon". Everything is just waiting for their good news. But they didn't leave the lab until the end of the party.
Four days later, the disassembly group still failed to synthesize artificial insulin. At this time, Fudan University broke the good news: they got the bioactive artificial insulin for the first time! The mayor of Shanghai immediately announced the happy event in People's Square. The news stimulated the Beijing Municipal Committee, and they sent instructions to Peking University, saying: Let's engage in Beijing brand insulin; China is so big, it is not too much to get two insulins; Can verify each other. Peking University is required to synthesize B chain and insulin respectively. Therefore, Peking University had to "open up the second battlefield" in May 1, 1, 6960, set up a new group of B chains and synthesize B chains.
Academy of Sciences launches "Operation Super Corps"
The competition between the Shanghai Municipal Committee and the Beijing Municipal Committee has also brought great pressure to the leadership of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In order to surpass the Ministry of Higher Education in the competition, Wang Zhongliang, secretary of the Party Committee of Shanghai Branch of Chinese Academy of Sciences, under the personal command of Du Runsheng, decided to take the lead personally on May 4 1960, and organized Bian Boming, secretary of the Party branch of Organic Institute, as deputy commander, Wang Yinglai, director of Institute of Biochemistry, Wang You, acting director of Organic Institute, and Cao, deputy director of Institute of Biochemistry, as deputy chief of staff. Li Zaiping, a young scientific and technological worker in the Institute of Biochemistry, served as the specific commander, and Wang, secretary of the Party branch of the Institute of Biochemistry, was in charge of the logistics support headquarters, directing five research institutes, including the Institute of Biochemistry, the Institute of Organic Chemistry, the Institute of Pharmacy, the Institute of Cell Biology and the Institute of Physiology, to carry out "big corps operations". At the "first headquarters meeting" held that night, the Party branch of the Institute of Biochemistry proposed that "it takes 20 days to complete the artificial total synthesis". Wang Zhongliang asked to hurry up and complete all the synthesis within half a month. Rebecca, who refused to take part in the work at first, went on to say, "Since the Party Committee of the branch decided, we will start at once ... half a month is too long, and it will be completed within one week." In this way, under the urging of the relevant leaders that "this is a major political task" and "if you can't get it down, you will be removed from the list", the Shanghai Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences began a vigorous mass movement.
On May 5th, relevant research institutes sent 344 people to participate in this work. They broke the normal organizational system of the original institutes, institutes and groups and formed a mixed formation of multiple "battle groups" under the command. The leader of the combat group is all young people, and the researcher who was originally the leader was changed to a team member; The leader of a polypeptide group in the Institute of Biochemistry, even a high flyers who has never seen a polypeptide, recently passed through Shanxi Branch of Chinese Academy of Sciences. They "adopted the method of two shifts a day" and established a work assembly line. Although many people are reluctant to put down their original research and turn to this work, the leading cadres of the party are generally very active because they are personally directing this work. Many people "spend all their time beside the experimental bed except for a few hours of sleep every day"; "Some people even move their bedclothes into the laboratory", completely not afraid of toxic drugs, regardless of their own health. There are also some key workers who "don't sleep for two days", so that the leaders decided that "it is necessary to arrange key members to rest and sleep".
After all, insulin synthesis is a basic scientific research, which is different from military struggle and industrial and agricultural production. Here, "a person's 30-day work is equal to a person's 30-day work" is not valid. So many people have been busy for 7 days, 15 days, 20 days, and a month, but they still haven't reached their original goals. After 50 days, the synthesized A chain and B chain finally "formally joined forces", which is very regrettable. "The overall situation is that the total synthesis of human A and human B (editor's note: synthesizing insulin A and B chains) has no vitality." Moreover, in the following 20 days, "human A- Tian B (editor's note: synthetic insulin A chain and natural insulin B chain) were tested for three times, and the results were all inactive".
Wang Yinglai has been paying attention to the biochemical cause of the whole country. He was anxious about this expensive, laborious and thankless research method and wanted to stop it long ago. 1960 at the end of July, he finally got up the courage to reflect his ideas to the leaders of the party group of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, emphasizing that it is not enough to have too many people, and the wrong professionals will not play any role in it. It is necessary to reduce the number of people and make the team more capable and familiar with the business, so that the progress will be faster. Zhang Jinfu and Du Runsheng are good friends of scientists. After launching a large corps for a period of time, when the effect was not obvious, they seriously considered Wang Yinglai's suggestion.
So, "1July, 960, Comrade Du Runsheng instructed that the large corps should fight, but not, but be lean." Subsequently, "the meeting was held for three days to sum up the debate, and the three research institutes of physiology, biology and medicine were dismounted, leaving two research institutes of biochemistry and organic." The number of students in the other two colleges has also gradually decreased. By the end of the year, there are only "nearly 20 lean teams" and "only 7 computer labs".
After paying millions of dollars in expensive tuition fees, the battle of the large corps of the Academy of Sciences came to an end.
1960, the students of chemistry department and biology department of Peking University didn't have a normal summer vacation and worked until 10. Finally, three batches of synthetic A chains were synthesized, and they were tested to be active, so they were sent to the biochemical institute. But when I got there, I lost my life again! 10 In late June, the Institute of Biochemistry decided to send Du Yucang and Zhang to "further study". As expected, the examination method used by Peking University is not standardized! No one knows what they "synthesized". The only thing that is certain is that it is not insulin A chain! The huge fund of 600,000 yuan has been exhausted, but the result is so unsatisfactory, and the injuries are quite serious-among them, three students were severely burned; More than 60 students have tuberculosis-of course, the work can't go on. Without even making a summary, the large corps of the Department of Chemistry of Peking University sounded the golden bell of retreat.
The situation of biology department of Fudan University is similar to that of Peking University, and 1960 was stopped in the second half of the year due to financial problems.
In addition to the Institute of Organic Studies, some products obtained in the stage of "Big Corps Operation" were also used for further purification and analysis, and later several papers were sorted out one after another. Seven or eight hundred scientific and technological workers and students from other units have been working vigorously for several months, and I am afraid that they will learn the lesson of failure.
As a unique way of scientific research in that era, "large corps combat" itself is very worthy of attention. It is a unique creation of China people in the way of scientific research, and it has indeed practiced the "proletarian scientific road" envisioned by some leaders at that time. Unfortunately, this research path does not work in insulin work.
A down-to-earth success
After the failure of the "large corps attacking insulin", the country has also entered a period of adjustment. Under the guidance of the eight-character policy of "adjustment, enrichment, consolidation and improvement", researchers and teachers began to be allowed to do their own interesting work. As a result, some researchers in the Institute of Organic Sciences said that they would "beat gongs and drums" again and "return" the project to the Institute of Biochemistry. Most participants in the Institute of Biochemistry were also disheartened and hoped to dismount. The situation in the chemistry department of Peking University is similar. However, Nie, Zhang Longxiang, Wang You and other multi-level leaders resolutely disagree. At their request and order, the insulin work of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Peking University continued, but the team was lean to a total of more than 20 people-at least two people were left in Peking University, and only one or twenty people were left in the Chinese Academy of Sciences, most of whom were early participants-and their working methods returned to the previous cold, slow and down-to-earth state.
With the help of the State Science and Technology Commission, at the end of 1963, the Department of Chemistry of Peking University and the Institute of Organic Science and Biochemistry of China Academy of Sciences began to cooperate again-the Department of Chemistry of Peking University was mainly responsible for the synthesis of the first 9 peptides of insulin A chain. Two years later, in September of 1965 and 17, they obtained artificial insulin crystals and finally completed the artificial synthesis of insulin. In other words, after researchers and research methods basically returned to the state of taking the so-called "bourgeois scientific work road", they succeeded.