Among the most productive areas of space-based research have been the investigations into growing protein crystals. Proteins are complex biological molecules in all living things, critical for a variety of functions, such as transporting oxygen and chemicals in the blood, forming the major components of muscle and skin, and fighting diseases. Research efforts are focused on understanding the structure of individual proteins, how the structure affects the protein's function, and the design of drugs to interfere with or enhance the protein's function. The human body alone contains more than 100,000 proteins. Scientists, however, know the structure of only about 1 percent of them.

Researchers are using the microgravity environment in space to produce large near-perfect protein crystals, which are then used to develop new and improved treatments for diabetes.

Many diseases involve proteins, such as toxins secreted by invading organisms, or proteins an invading organism needs to survive...