Frederick Banting

"'All endeavours must begin with an ideal and end with it's realisation.' - Sir Frederick Banting" Sir Frederick Grant Banting M.D., KBE MC FRS FRSC (14, November, 1891 - 21, February, 1941) was a British inventor, painter, philanthropist, physician, professor, soldier, surgeon and veteran of the First World War. During his career, Banting served as first Professor of Medical Science at the King's University of Toronto, Chairman of the Associate Committee for Medical Research of the Dominion of Canada and Chief Officer of Clinical Investigation Unit #1 for the Royal Canadian Air Force. In 1923, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for producing the first treatment for diabetes mellitus. Banting is accredited with saving the lives of tens of millions annually due to his discovery and his role in it's commercialisation and mass production.

Banting's laboratory developed methods of concentrating and purifying the peptide hormone insulin, isolated the insulin hormone from the islets of the pancreas, produced an insulin based hormonal treatment for patients with diabetes, respiratory treatments for the inhalation of sulfur mustard gas and topical solutions for skin contact with mustard gas.

Banting personally conducted experiments which successfully attempted to isolate the insulin hormone from the pancreatic islets, co-founded the Department of Medical Research at the King's University of Toronto, directed the experimental medical research department of the King's University of Toronto in the Dominion of Canada, fought alongside imperial British forces during the First World War, instigated the mass commercial production of insulin products, invented anti-gravity gear on behalf of the Royal Canadian Air Force for the British Empire and oversaw the chemical weapons development programme for the British Empire during the Second World War.