Mission Specialist Mike Lopez-Alegria and Coleman also monitored other protein crystal experiments onboard. This mission carries a record number of protein samples and protein crystal growth facilities. The European Space Agency's Advanced Protein Crystallization Facility enables videotaping of three different methods of crystal growth. Marshall Space Flight Center has two protein crystal growth experiments on USML-2, which use a total of four facilities. In addition to their Glovebox experiment, the Center for Macromolecular Crystallography is growing more crystals in the often-used Vapor Diffusion Apparatus as well as by a newer batch method.
Proteins are molecules which serve biological functions.
Understanding the structure of these molecules gives scientists an idea what other molecules would interact with the protein and change the way it functions, for instance to help cure or treat an illness. Red team members will devote the majority of their upcoming shift to Drop Physics Module, Surface Tension Driven Convection Experiment and Glovebox Protein Crystal Growth operations.