BACTERIORHODOPSIN CRYSTAL-GROWTH UNDER MICROGRAVITY - RESULTS OF IML-1 AND SPACEHAB-1 EXPERIMENTS

The results of two crystal-growth experiments in microgravity with the membrane protein bacteriorhodopsin are reported, namely the IML-1 exp eriment in the Advanced Cryostat which resulted in a significant impro vement in the compact crystal morphology of the needles, and the Space hab-1 experiment in the Advanced Protein Crystallisation Facility whic h extended the IML-1 results with improved morphology of the triclinic needles. The enhanced diffractional power of these bacteriorhodopsin crystals grown in microgravity has extended the hitherto 8 angstrom re solution limit by 2 angstrom.