Cylinder 3, Glovebox Hip Pack, Protein Crystal Growth Experiment, Space Shuttle

This container holds more than 20 pipettes (small, straw-like tubes) that were used in protein crystal growth experiments on the Space Shuttle. It was part of a kit of growth cells, bottles of fluid, and other small laboratory items needed for the experiments. Protein crystal growth experiments in space enabled researchers to learn which conditions and solutions were best for promoting growth of particular protein crystals. This knowledge is important for medical, drug, and agricultural research.

Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, actively involved in experiments for Shuttle flights, gave this item and a large set of protein crystal growth equipment to the Museum in 2012.