1. Upside-Down Protein Crystallization: Designing Microbatch Experiments for Microgravity
- Author
-
Sahir Khurshid and Naomi E. Chayen
- Subjects
Materials science ,Mineralogy ,Crystallography, X-Ray ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,law.invention ,Sample volume ,History and Philosophy of Science ,law ,Animals ,Surface Tension ,Crystallization ,Process engineering ,Weightlessness Simulation ,Plant Proteins ,Weightlessness ,business.industry ,Microchemistry ,General Neuroscience ,Proteins ,Space Flight ,Nephropidae ,Paraffin ,Carrier protein ,Muramidase ,Carrier Proteins ,Protein crystallization ,business ,Chickens ,Oils - Abstract
The benefits of protein crystal growth in microgravity are well documented. The crystallization vessels currently employed for microgravity crystallization are far from optimal with regards to cost, sample volume, size, and ease of use. The use of microbatch experiments is a favorable alternative in each respect: 96 experiments of 0.5-2 microL volumes can be performed in a single microtiter tray measuring 5 x 8 cm and costing 1 pound sterling each. To date, the use of microbatch has not been pursued on account of concerns of oil leakage. To address this issue, a novel approach to microbatch crystallization experiments is described, where the microbatch plates are inverted throughout the duration of the experiment. The findings intimate the application of the microbatch method to space flight and the potential to drastically increase the output of microgravity crystallization research .
- Published
- 2006