Abstract
It has been a long time since space experiments have been conducted to produce protein crystals in microgravity. High-quality crystals grown in space are brought back to the ground to obtain precise protein structural information, which can be used for drug discovery. JAXA, the Japanese space agency, has been conducting protein crystallization experiments since the 1990s. More precise structural data have been obtained for about 40–50% of protein types, with many results leading to drug discovery, for example, drugs for muscular dystrophy, breast cancer or periodontal disease. Various contrivances are necessary for the success of the space experiment. JAXA has been striving to promote space experiments by improving the protein sample conditions and developing crystallization containers optimized for space experiments to maximize the results of space experiment.
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Yamada, M. et al. (2021). Protein Crystallization in Space and Its Contribution to Drug Development. In: Pathak, Y., Araújo dos Santos, M., Zea, L. (eds) Handbook of Space Pharmaceuticals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50909-9_40-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50909-9_40-1
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