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| Commercial Protein Crystal Growth |
| Principal Investigator: Dr. Larry DeLucas, director of the Center for Biophysical Science and Engineering at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. |
| Project Scientist: Steve Lide of the Space Product Development Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. |
| Overview |
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Through protein crystallography, protein crystals are grown in the laboratory and examined to determine their three-dimensional structure. That information is used to develop new drugs targeting the protein's structure. But crystals grown in Earth's gravity frequently have defects that make such analysis difficult or impossible. Space-grown crystals often have fewer defects and are larger than their Earth-grown counterparts, making them easier to examine. The objective of the STS-101 protein crystal growth experiments is to grow crystals of human alpha interferon 2b--a protein pharmaceutical used against several afflictions, including human viral hepatitis B and C, melanoma, hairy cell leukemia, multiple myeloma and AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma. These alpha interferon samples will be crystallized under a range of conditions in sufficient size and quantity to assess the concentration and distribution of impurities. The protein is supplied by the Schering Plough Research Institute of Kenilworth, N.J. The experiments will be performed in the protein crystallization facility that stimulates crystal growth through changes in temperature.  This Commercial Protein Crystal Growth experiment aboard STS-101 is sponsored by the Center for Biophysical Science and Engineering at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The center is part of NASA's Commercial Space Center Program, which forms a bridge between NASA and private industry to develop methods for crystallizing large molecules in microgravity. By fostering such commercial projects aboard the space shuttle, NASA contributes to research that may lead to a new generation of drugs for treating diseases such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, periodontal disease, influenza, septic shock, emphysema and AIDS. |
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