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Microgravity has been shown to be an excellent tool for protein crystal formation. A retrospective analysis of all publicly available crystallization data, including many that have not yet been published, clearly demonstrates the value of the microgravity environment for producing superior protein crystals. The parameters in the database (the Butler Microgravity Protein Crystal Database, BμCDB) that were evaluated pertain to both crystal morphology and diffraction quality. Success metrics were determined as improvements in size, definition, uniformity, mosaicity, diffraction quality, resolution limits, and B factor. The proteins in the databases were evaluated by molecular weight, protein type, the number of subunits, space group, and Mattew's Coefficient. Compared to ground experiments, crystals grown in a microgravity environment continue to show improvement across all metrics evaluated. General trends as well as numerical differences are included in the assessment of the BμCDB. The microgravity environment improves crystal formation across a spectrum of metrics and the datasets utilized for this investigation are excellent tools for this evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The benefits of crystallization in a microgravity environment have been documented. Herein, we update the community on the results of a retrospective meta-analysis and data curation of 507 unique crystallization experiments that have been disseminated in the literature over a broad diversity of substrates. The analysis variables in the dataset that were evaluated include individual success metrics such as size, structural improvement, improved uniformity, increased resolution limit, and improved mosaicity. The overall databases were evaluated over time and by molecular complexity. Compared to ground experiments, crystals grown in a microgravity environment continue to show improvement across all metrics evaluated. The retrospective analysis demonstrates that success rates of crystallization experiments in microgravity improved over time. There also seems to be no correlation between complexity of molecule, using molecular weight as a surrogate for complexity, and successful crystallization under microgravity conditions. The microgravity environment provides improvement to crystal fabrication across metrics utilized for evaluation and molecular types, and the datasets utilized for this investigation are excellent tools for this evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste tyres are a global problem, with 1.5 billion being generated annually. To reduce this problem, a circular economy for tyres should be developed. This requires the incorporation of recycled tyre rubber in tyre products. Yet, most recycled rubber is of insufficient quality. Recycled rubber must react sufficiently well with virgin rubber to be elastically effective in the 3D crosslinked network. Although a broad range of devulcanization techniques have been developed, many recycled‐virgin rubber blends show significant reductions in stiffness compared with their virgin counterparts. This paper demonstrates that micromechanical models for filler reinforcement can be used to evaluate whether recycled rubber behaves in an elastically effective manner. Furthermore, mechanical devulcanization of ground tyre rubber (GTR) by solid‐state shear milling was shown to produce a recycled rubber powder that is elastically effective when blended with virgin natural rubber (vNR). These blends match the equivalent virgin rubber stiffness, despite high‐recyclate content (30/70 vNR/GTR). The addition of nanofillers (carbon black and graphene nanoplatelets) to these blends was evaluated to see how they compared with virgin compounds and filler reinforcement theories. This process may allow for incorporation of devulcanized rubber into existing products, promoting a circular economy for high‐value rubber recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]