PROTEIN CRYSTAL-GROWTH IN MICROGRAVITY REVIEW OF LARGE-SCALE TEMPERATURE INDUCTION METHOD - BOVINE INSULIN, HUMAN INSULIN AND HUMAN ALPHA-INTERFERON

The protein crystal growth facility (PCF) is space-flight hardware tha t accommodates large scale protein crystal growth experiments using te mperature change as the inductive step. Recent modifications include s pecialized instrumentation for monitoring crystal nucleation with lase r light scattering. This paper reviews results from the PCF's first se ven flights on the Space Shuttle, the last with laser light scattering instrumentation. The PCF's objective is twofold: (1) production of hi gh quality protein crystals for X-ray analysis and subsequent structur e based drug design and (2) preparation of a large quantity of relativ ely contaminant free crystals for use as time-release protein pharmace uticals. The first three Shuttle flights with bovine insulin constitut ed the PCF's proof of concept, demonstrating that the space-grown crys tals were larger and diffracted to higher resolution than their earth- grown counterparts. The later four PCF missions were used to grow reco mbinant human insulin crystals for X-ray analysis and to continue prod uctions trials aimed at the development of a processing facility for c rystalline recombinant alpha interferon.