Upon reaching orbit, the crew activates the unit, monitors the facility as it operates, and deactivates the equipment shortly before re-entry. Video images will be made of crystals as they form. After the mission, the images will allow investigators to study the history of crystal development in microgravity.
Scientists are interested particularly in why and how crystals begin formation.
As X-rays diffract off the atoms of the crystals, a computer will map each atom s position. This process is possible only with highly ordered and relatively large crystals. With these maps, scientists may be able to expand our understanding of biological processes at the molecular level, which could lead to applications in medicine and agriculture. The APCF has 2 units, each of which has 48 crystallization reactors. Knowledge of the three- dimensional structure of this receptor would open the possibility of tailoring appropriate drugs for the treatment of numerous types of tumors.