NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

OpNom: NanoRacks Module-19

Overview | Description | Applications | Operations | Results | Publications | Imagery

Experiment Overview


Brief Summary

NanoRacks-Protein Crystal Growth-1 (NanoRacks-PCG-1) is a proprietary protein crystal growth experiment that utilizes state-of-the-art on-the-ground PCG procedures and hardware.

Principal Investigator(s)

Carl W. Carruthers, Jr., M.S., The Methodist Hospital Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States

Co-Investigator(s)/Collaborator(s)

Information Pending

Developer(s)

NanoRacks, LLC, Houston, TX, United States

Sponsoring Space Agency

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Sponsoring Organization

National Laboratory (NL)

Research Benefits

Information Pending

ISS Expedition Duration:

September 2012 - September 2013

Expeditions Assigned

33/34,35/36

Previous ISS Missions

Information Pending

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Experiment Description

Research Overview

• NanoRacks-Protein Crystal Growth-1 (NanoRacks-PCG-1) utilizes different Protein Crystal Growth solutions in small crystal slides to grow protein crystals in microgravity.
• The slides are launched frozen, thawed on orbit to allow crystal growth, examined while on-orbit and then returned.

Description

NanoRacks-Protein Crystal Growth-1 (NanoRacks-PCG-1) is a proprietary protein crystal growth experiment that utilizes state-of-the-art on-the-ground PCG procedures and hardware.  NanoRacks-PCG-1 uses different PCG solutions in small crystal slides to grow protein crystals in microgravity. The slides are launched frozen, thawed on orbit to allow crystal growth, examined while on-orbit and then returned.

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Applications

Space Applications

The applications of this investigation are proprietary.

Earth Applications

The applications of this investigation are proprietary.

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Operations

Operational Requirements

The protein growth in the Crystal Plates automatically initiates on-orbit when the Plates thaw. At least one analysis session with the Crystal Plates and the NanoRacks Microscope-2 facility is conducted to collect data on crystal growth.  After the session is completed, the Crystal Plates are re-stowed.

Operational Protocols

NanoRacks Module-19 is soft-stowed in a Glacier at -95°C.  Crew removes the module from Glacier and places it inside NanoRacks Platform-1.  Thaw and crystal growth occur without crew interaction.  The crew observes crystal growth status on the slides.  

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Results/More Information

Information Pending

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Related Websites

NanoRacks

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Imagery

NanoRacks-Protein Crystal Growth-1 (NanoRacks-PCG-1) is a proprietary protein crystal growth housed inside NanoRacks Module-19.  Image courtesy of Carl W. Carruthers, Jr.

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