Experiment

Experiment

A.032

Experiment

Crystallisation of Rhodopsin in microgravity.

Primary investigator

De Grip, W.J.

Co-investigator

Daemen, F.J.M., Bonting, S.L.

Contact point

University of Nijmegen, Department of BioChemistry

Category

Life Sciences

Main research area

Protein Crystallisation

Keywords

Rhodopsin
Crystallisation
Membrane
Protein

Abstract

Rhodopsin is the light-sensitive protein of the rod photoreceptor cell in the vertebrate retina. Rhodopsin " translate" the photon signal into protein conformational changes, which through specific biochemical signal transduction and amplification mechanisms effectuate .... (full text)

Objectives

We were allotted 3 crystallization cells in the Protein Crystallization Facility (PCF) of the first Eureca mission (Eureca-1, 1992), and five cells in the PCF of the Space Shuttle IML-2 mission (1995). This project aims at finding optimal crystallization conditions on Earth in .... (full text)

Reference

SRON annual report 1990, 1989

S.L. Bronting et al. (1984) ESA-SP-1067 pp. 9-13

W.J. DeGrip et al. (1992). Crystal Growth, in press.

Subject of investigation

Protein
Detergent
Inclusion compounds

Subject name

Rhodopsin

Standard method

Free interface diffusion

Experiment procedure

In order to handle several hundreds of conditions in parallel and overcome the surface-tension lowering effects of detergents, crystallization is performed by vapour-diffusion on microsamples (10 l) in modified sitting-drop chambers. Crystals are identified under the .... (full text)

Experiment

EUI/NL-PC-15 (ESA)

Funding agency

SRON

Launcher

Space Shuttle

Platform

Eureca

Mission

Eureca-1

Facility

Protein Crystallisation Facility

Duration

ñ 180 days

Operational Constraints

æg < 10-3;
temperature control 20 ñ 1øC;
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