SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT INVOLVED:

• Luch-2 equipment accommodating multipurpose crystallization cassettes

• Thermal insulating container Biokont-T
  for transportation of the Luch-2 equipment

• Temperature-stable container "AQUA 01"

PURPOSE:

Production of crystals of interleukins-1α, -1β and receptor antagonist of interleukin-1 under space flight conditions, which are suitable for x-ray crystal analysis.

OBJECTIVES:

• Development of the procedure for interleukin crystallization under orbital flight conditions.
• Production of interleukin crystals that are larger in size and the structure of which is more ordered as compared with the crystals grown on the ground.

EXPERIMENT RESULTS:

• In-flight grown crystals in multipurpose crystallization cassettes.
• Information of the temperature recorded in crystallization unit accommodation area.

EXPECTED RESULTS:

Peptides carrying the main protein properties with no adverse effects produced can be synthesized.