Design of a temperature controller for micro-gravity growth of protein crystals aboard the Space Shuttle

A six-chambered vapor diffusion apparatus is currently used for protein crystal growth experiments in microgravity environments on board the Space Shuttle. Temperature is a thermodynamic variable that dictates the solubility of solutions. The objective is to employ the temperature parameter so as to devise an apparatus that can control the temperature of the protein solution. This will allow a condition of saturation to be approached in a careful and predetermined manner. This approach is expected to form fewer nucleation sites for the protein crystals, thereby resulting in the production of fewer, larger crystals of superior quality. Implementation of this methodology, from the control of the dynamic variable temperature to the effective design of the VDA for accurate temperature measurement and control, taking into consideration the power constraints available on board the Space Shuttle, forms the focal point of this project