November 11, 2008

Twelve Huffman High School students will gather in a UAB laboratory tomorrow to see the results of a scientific experiment to grow protein crystals in space. The students, along with teens from Indian Springs School, helped prepare the experiment that flew onboard the International Space Station earlier this fall. 

The students will be at the UAB Center for Biophysical Sciences and Engineering (CBSE), 1025 18th Street South from 9-11 a.m. on Wednesday, November 12.

The experiment was conducted to see whether the protein found in tiny organisms called extremophiles would crystallize under microgravity conditions. Extremophiles can thrive in extreme hot and cold temperatures and are found in places like Antarctica and near volcanoes. Tomorrow the students will examine the new crystals using microscopes. Images of the crystals also will be projected onto a screen.

Larry DeLucas, O.D., Ph.D., UAB optometrist, CBSE director and former astronaut, and University of Alabama in Huntsville principal investigator, Joseph Ng, Ph.D., held a workshop in February at UAB where the students learned how to set up the experiments. The goal of the workshop was to provide high school students the opportunity to participate in space research and to stimulate their interest in science. This initiative also involved students from several Huntsville area schools.

"The x-ray data indicates a definite improvement in the space-grown crystals compared to the ground controls," DeLucas said. The experiment is the first attempt ever to crystallize some of the extremophilic proteins under microgravity conditions. The results will be sent to an educational journal for publication.

Crystallization is essential for protein engineering and drug design. The experiment that the students worked on could lead to a greater understanding of the atomic details of the three dimensional structures for the extremophilic proteins, which could have commercial value.