The Impact of Extreme Low Temperatures on Raman Spectra of Amino Acids Relevant for the Search for Life on Europa.

Raman spectroscopy, an emerging technology for space exploration, has been suggested for life detection for the Europa Lander Mission. However, obtaining spectra of samples from the europan icy shell requires measurements at temperatures down to -233°C, which will affect the Raman spectra of any potential biosignatures. In this study, we obtained Raman spectra of amino acids using a 785 nm Raman system at temperatures ranging down to -196°C, analogous to Europa's surface and near subsurface.

Cryogenically induced signal enhancement of Raman spectra of porphyrin molecules.

Raman spectroscopy is a powerful analytical technique in contemporary medicine and biomedical research due to its exceptional ability to provide an unambiguous spectroscopic signature of the molecular chemical composition, structure and atom arrangements. Among other applications, investigations of the Raman spectra of porphyrins and their derivatives have been critical in the study of ligand binding mechanisms and drug interactions with healthy and diseased blood cells, as well as for the analysis of blood, hemoproteins and the oxygenation process of human erythrocyte. However, obtaining Raman spectra with satisfactory definition of porphyrin-based molecules can be challenging due to their inherent photo- and thermal sensitivity which leads to laser damage even at low laser power.