NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Extracting trends from two decades of microgravity macromolecular crystallization historySince the 1980s hundreds of macromolecular crystal growth experiments have been performed in the reduced acceleration environment of an orbiting spacecraft. Significant enhancements in structural knowledge have resulted from X-ray diffraction of the crystals grown. Similarly, many samples have shown no improvement or degradation in comparison to those grown on the ground. A complex series of interrelated factors affect these experiments and by building a comprehensive archive of the results it was aimed to identify factors that result in success and those that result in failure. Specifically, it was found that dedicated microgravity missions increase the chance of success when compared with those where crystallization took place as a parasitic aspect of the mission. It was also found that the chance of success could not be predicted based on any discernible property of the macromolecule available to us.
Document ID
20050206732
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Judge, Russell A.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL United States)
Snell, Edward H.
van der Woerd, Mark J.
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
June 1, 2005
Publication Information
Publication: Acta crystallographica. Section D, Biological crystallography
Volume: 61
Issue: Pt 6
ISSN: 0907-4449
Subject Category
Life Sciences (General)
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
Review
Review, Tutorial

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available