Higher growth rate of protein crystals in space than on the Earth

In-Space Fabrication of Janus Base Nano-Matrix for Improved Assembly and Bioactivities

“…The fabrication of Janus Base Nanomaterials (JBNs), on the other hand, is simple, and the scalability and reproducibility are quick. Similar to protein crystallization 3 , the formation of JBNs on Earth is restricted due to gravity and therefore the strands formed are non-homogenous and the drug loading efficiency is less than optimal. In space, the lack of gravity can affect the sedimentation of JBNs, which can both increase homogeneity and influence their performance as drug delivery vehicles.…”

“…JBNs are used as a starting base for the Janus base nanomatrix (JBNm) developed for cartilage repair. In space, the self-assembly of JBNs will overcome the limitations of JBN assembly process due to sedimentation 3 . Unlike many other scaffolds in the market, JBNm has room-temperature stability, quick assembly time without the need for catalysts or crosslinkers with excellent drug loading capacity 8,11 .…”

Microgravity Crystal Formation

“…The interest in the microgravity environment for improved fabrication of materials includes the crystallization of compounds [4,5]. Crystals as simple as table salt [6] and as complex as monoclonal antibodies [7] have been formed in microgravity, and most have improved properties or improved structures compared to their terrestrial counterparts.…”

“…Early and recent retrospective analyses of microgravity experimentation were very discipline-specific, and focused on subsets of materials like advanced electronic materials [4], methods like TIM crystallization [9], or targets including proteins [5,10,11], retrospective analyses of one country's protein crystallizations [12], perspectives on the outlook of protein crystallizations [13], and overall methodologies [14]. While not part of this study, an account of types of diffusion techniques for macromolecular crystallization [15] and a communication that includes common forms of semiconductor crystallization have been performed [16].…”

State-of-the Art Research in Biomolecular Crystals

“…The use of specific crystallization agents or organic polymers, such as poly-ethylene glycols (400-20,000 MW) and their interaction with proteins, will be discussed in one of the contributions associated with this special issue. The measurements of the crystal growth rate, either on Earth or in microgravity, have recently shown interesting information in terms of crystal quality and mechanisms of crystal growth [14].…”