NEWS/RELEASE
TANAKA PRECIOUS METAL GROUP Co., Ltd. and TANAKA MIRAI Lab. Began Space Protein Crystallization Experiments
-Protein crystallization experiments, which were expected to contribute to the elucidation of biological functions and drug discovery, conducted in space, and the newly developed “experimental unit for space molecular crystallization using Au (gold) nanostructure formation technology” launched into space on April 21, 2025 (U.S. local time)-
May 8, 2025
TANAKA MIRAI Lab., an in-house innovation organization of TANAKA PRECIOUS METAL GROUP Co., Ltd., , has developed an “experimental unit for space molecular crystallization using Au (gold) nanostructure formation technology” (patent pending). The experiments were conducted by installing the experimental unit on the SpaceX CRS-32, an unmanned commercial resupply spacecraft to the International Space Station, which launched from the Kennedy Space Center in the U.S. on April 21, 2025 (U.S. local time).
TANAKA has been imagining the future in 2085, the 200th anniversary of its founding, and in 2021, it launched the TANAKA Renaissance Plan (TRP), which aims to realize a sustainable society and ultra-long-term corporate management. As part of this initiative, TANAKA has established the TANAKA MIRAI Lab., an in-house innovation organization to create a better future, and is conducting various research and development.
Protein crystallization experiments in space are considered useful for the detailed structural analysis of protein molecules because the effects of gravity can be eliminated. They are expected to make a significant contribution to the elucidation of biological functions and drug discovery. On the other hand, protein crystallization experiments have a very low rate of generating crystals, which is a challenge for high-cost space experiments.
The “experimental unit for space molecular crystallization using Au nanostructure formation technology” developed by TANAKA MIRAI Lab. is expected to enable more effective space experiments because it can increase the crystal generation rate through protein crystallization technology using Au’s plasmon resonance (*1). The experimental unit is scheduled to return to the ground approximately two months after launch to verify the crystal generation rate and quality in space.
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(*1) Plasmon resonance: A phenomenon in which light of a specific wavelength is absorbed on an Au surface that has been nanoparticulated. It is further enhanced when Au nanoparticles are close together at a nano-level spacing.