Science on Flight Day 11 of MSL-1

Protein Crystal Growth Primer: Step 1

First you grow crystals by dissolving proteins in a concentrated solution. This can be done on Earth, bu research shows that the heavier and more complex the crystal is, the more prone it is to have internal defects. Thus, space-based growth is proving to be the best route to obtaining samples that are, well, "crystal clear."

It takes just five steps to characterize a protein by crystallization....

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