MSFC-PLAN-2889 REV A CHG NOTICE 1

Abstract

This document presents the Quality Plan to be implemented for the Dynamically-Controlled Protein Crystal Growth (DCPCG) hardware and software that is being developed by the University of Alabama in Birmingham (UAB) under the management of the Marshall Space Flight Center Microgravity Biotechnology Program Office through a "modified-performance-based contract." This document describes the organization and the approach to be implemented to assure that the hardware/software developed for the DCPCG project complies with all project specifications and standards. <br>Purpose <br>The purpose of this plan is to specify the DCPCG Project's approach to implementing the MSFC Quality System as defined in MPD 1280.1, "Marshall Management Manual" and associated implementing documentation. This plan addresses the quality approach for DCPCG activities at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) as documented within the Performance Work Statement (PWS), contract NAS8-40189, and MSFC-PLAN-2785, "DCPCG Project Plan." Applicable MSFC procedures and work instructions are referenced in MPD 1280.1 and are not repeated herein. Requirements invoked by MPD 1280.1 reference documents will be complied with. The Project Plan and this Quality Plan cover activities up to the Systems Acceptance Review, successful completion of which turns the hardware over to the Government. At this time, a new Project Plan and Quality Plan will be developed. <br>This project is officially titled "Protein Crystal Growth in Microgravity (PCG/M) DCPCG Investigation." This investigation is being developed for the NASA Microgravity Research Program Office by the University of Alabama at Birmingham Center for Biophysical Sciences and Engineering (UAB/CBSE). The purpose of the DCPCG flight investigation is to achieve the science objectives for this project (described in the DCPCG Science Requirements Document (SRD) PCG-R-0003A) to develop a better understanding of the dynamics and kinetics of protein crystallization in microgravity in order to determine how this differs from the same process on Earth, and to obtain more perfect crystals of selected proteins in order to determine or refine knowledge of their atomic structures.