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Facility/Payload OverviewBrief Facility Summary
Advanced Protein Crystallization Facility (APCF) is an Italian Space Agency (ASI) facility which supports a series of investigations that focuses on growing protein crystals in microgravity. APCF is a collaborative project among several investigators who contributed samples and evaluated the facility for crystal growth in microgravity.
Facility Manager(s)Information Pending
Facility DeveloperAstrium GmbH, Friedrichshafen, Germany
Sponsoring AgencyNational Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Expeditions Assigned|3|
Previous ISS MissionsThe APCF flew on several Space Shuttle flights dating back to 1985.
Facility/Payload Description
Facility Summary
- Advanced Protein Crystallization Facility (APCF) was designed to produce protein crystals in microgravity.
- The research results from this study will facilitate researchers to make advancements in manufacturing and biological processes.
Crystal growth in the APCF is initiated by causing a protein solution to supersaturate (a condition where there is more protein than can be dissolved in the volume of fluid). As a result of this supersaturation, the protein crystals "fall out" of solution and begin to grow. Supersaturation is achieved by allowing the diffusion of water out of the protein solution, or by introducing precipitant into the solution, thereby decreasing the solubility of the protein. The APCF is the first facility to use three methods of protein crystal growth: liquid-liquid diffusion, vapor diffusion, and dialysis. During liquid-liquid diffusion the protein solution, a buffer solution, and a precipitation solution are initially separated by shutters. When the shutters are removed, the precipitant solution diffuses through the central buffer solution into the protein solution, causing the protein to become less soluble and initiating crystal growth. In the vapor diffusion method, a crystal forms in a protein solution as a precipitant draws moisture in a surrounding reservoir. In the dialysis method, salt draws moisture away from the protein solution via a membrane separating the two, forming crystals.
Each APCF unit can accommodate 48 modular protein crystal growth chambers, or reactors, of which 10 can be observed by a high-resolution video camera. The hardware consists of a process chamber, power and data electronics, the camera electronics, optical and video system, thermal control system, and tape recorder.
Operations
Facility Operations
The APCF reactors were filled in Europe and shipped to the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, FL ten days before launch. The reactors were activated after transfer to EXPRESS Rack 1 on the ISS. The facility's processing chamber was maintained at 20 degrees C and temperature data was recorded throughout the mission. Camera images in black and white were digitized and stored on the facility tape recorder. Data electronics recorded and stored other information. On return to Earth, the protein crystals produced in the APCF were examined by crystallography and computers made the mathematical calculations needed to enable three-dimensional modeling of the proteins structures.
Results/More Information
Initial analysis of crystals returned from the ISS from APCF indicate that the hardware performed as expected and produced high quality protein crystals for analysis by the investigator teams.
Availability
Related Web Sites
Publications
Results Publications
Related Publications
Images
NASA Image: ISS003E8171 - The Advanced Protein Crystal Facility located in EXPRESS Rack 1 onboard ISS Expedition 3. Two other experiments, MAMS and SAMS-II, are installed below it.+ View Larger Image
Information Provided and Updated by the ISS Program Scientist's Office