Recombinant DNA technology involves introducing genes from one organism into another organism. Scientists rely on this technology to produce the drug insulin, which people with diabetes need to manage their blood sugar levels. In the late 1970s, scientists figured out which human gene codes for the protein insulin. They were able to take the gene out of human DNA and insert it into a special type of bacterial DNA called a plasmid. Scientists then grew large cultures of the bacteria with the insulin gene, and the bacteria produced large quantities of insulin.