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Protein Crystallization on the International Space Station ISS

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Biotechnology in Space

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Space Life Sciences ((BRIEFSSLS))

Abstract

Already early protein crystallization experiments in space indicated that more extended crystallization periods, beyond the flight durations of shuttle missions or unmanned orbiters, will be beneficial for the majority of microgravity protein crystal growth experiments. Beside preceding intensive efforts to adjust and optimize crystallization conditions to meet the microgravity time span of orbiters flight duration, video imaging of some experiments showed that the crystallization process was not finalized at the end of the mission. And a number of experiments performed on MIR, prior to availability of ISS, confirmed potential advantages applying extended microgravity crystallization periods, also knowing that due to some crew activities the microgravity on ISS may not sustain a 100% convection free environment in the crystallization hardware. Considering this fact as a minor restraint and knowing that most biomolecules require and appreciate growth periods longer than the duration of a typical shuttle mission of 7–10 days, opportunities to perform crystallization experiments on ISS are very attractive.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Structural Biology of Infection and Inflammation, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Hamburg, c/o DESY, Build. 22a, Notkestr. 85, 22603, Hamburg, Germany

    Christian Betzel B.D.S., F.R.A.C.D.S., M.S. & Arayik Martirosyan Ph.D.

  2. Space Management, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Koenigswinterer Str. 522, D-53227, Bonn, Germany

    Günter Ruyters Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Christian Betzel B.D.S., F.R.A.C.D.S., M.S.
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  2. Arayik Martirosyan Ph.D.
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  3. Günter Ruyters Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Christian Betzel B.D.S., F.R.A.C.D.S., M.S. .

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Betzel, C., Martirosyan, A., Ruyters, G. (2017). Protein Crystallization on the International Space Station ISS. In: Biotechnology in Space. SpringerBriefs in Space Life Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64054-9_3

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