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Crystalization of Biological Macromolecules and Generation of Biocrystal Film in the Conditions of Microgravity (Kristallizator)
03.22.12

Overview | Description | Applications | Operations | Results | Publications | Images

Experiment/Payload Overview

Information provided courtesy of the Energia website.
Brief Summary

Kristallizator (Crystallizer) allows the growth of large protein crystals in orbit and allows better determination of the 3-dimensional structure of the crystals with applications in applied biology, medicine, and pharmacology. It is operated in the CRYOGEM-03 cooler.

Principal Investigator

  • I. S. Lubutin, Ph.D., , , , Russia

    • Co-Investigator(s)/Collaborator(s)

    Information Pending

    Payload Developer Information Pending

    Sponsoring Space Agency

    Roscosmos

    Sponsoring Organization:

    Information Pending

    ISS Expedition Duration:

    October 2005 - September 2011



    Expeditions Assigned

    12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 21/22, 25/26, 27/28

    Previous ISS Missions

    Information Pending

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    Experiment/Payload Description

    Research Summary

    Information Pending

    Description

    Study of physical processes of protein crystallization to produce the protein monocrystals perfect in structure suitable for X-ray structure analysis. Study of biocrystal films of volumetric solution on substrates using the artificial epitaxy effect.

    Development of the new generation hardware and techniques to crystallize a large amount of proteins in the interests of basic and applied biology, medicine, pharmacology and microelectronics.

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    Applications

    Space Applications

    Information Pending

    Earth Applications

    Information Pending

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    Operations

    Operational Requirements

    Module-1 is a device to grow the protein monocrystals. Module-3 is a device to grow bidimensional oriented films using the artificial epitaxy effect.

    Operational Protocols

    Test techniques in microgravity conditions to produce monocrystals of biological macromolecules and orient film-forming crystallites. Test the hardware, modes and conditions to grow the protein monocrystals and biological films. Estimate efficiency and reliability of the used hardware. Test the experiment timeline to organize the small-batch growing of biocrystals and films in microgravity conditions.

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    Results/More Information

    Biocrystallization modules with the experiment results transported safely back to Earth for analysis, along with a log sheet with data of the experiment timeline. Also, the daily telemetry information of the air temperature in the accommodation area of biocrystallizers must be sent.

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    Related Web Sites
  • Energia - Science Research on the ISS Russian Segment
  • Coordinating Scientific and Technical Council of the Russian Space Agency [Russian]

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    Publications

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    Ground Based Results Publications

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    ISS Patent Publications

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    Related Publications

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    Images

    imageModule 1.


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    imageModule 3.


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    Information provided by the investigation team to the ISS Program Scientist's Office.
    If updates are needed to the summary please contact JSC-ISS-Program-Science-Group. For other general questions regarding space station research and technology, please feel free to call our help line at 281-244-6187 or e-mail at JSC-ISS-Payloads-Helpline.
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