We propose a new technique for the detection of microorganisms by elemental composition analyses of a sample extracted from regolith, permafrost, and ice of extraterrestrial bodies. We also describe the design of the ABIMAS instrument, which consists of the onboard time-of-flight laser mass-reflectron (TOF LMR) and the sample preparation unit (SPU) for biomass extraction. This instrument was initially approved to fly on board the ExoMars 2020 lander mission. The instrument can be used to analyze the elemental composition of possible extraterrestrial microbial communities and compare it to that of terrestrial microorganisms. We have conducted numerous laboratory studies to confirm the possibility of biomass identification via the following biomarkers: P/S and Ca/K ratios, and C and N abundances. We underline that only the combination of these factors will allow one to discriminate microbial samples from geological ones. Our technique has been tested experimentally in numerous laboratory trials on cultures of microorganisms and polar permafrost samples as terrestrial analogues for martian polar soils. We discuss various methods of extracting microorganisms and sample preparation. The developed technique can be used to search for and identify microorganisms in different martian samples and in the subsurface of other planets, satellites, comets, and asteroids-in particular, Europa, Ganymede, and Enceladus. Key Words: Mass spectrometry-Life-detection instruments-Biomarkers-Earth Mars-Biomass spectra. Astrobiology 17, 448-458.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/ast.2016.1511 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Cryoelectron microscopy with elemental sensitivity.
Structure
January 2025
Structural Studies Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK. Electronic address:
In a recent issue of Nature Methods, Pfeil-Gardiner et al. (2024) combine electron energy-loss spectroscopy and single-particle cryoelectron microscopy to allow the spatially resolved imaging of the elemental composition of macromolecules.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrediction of Retention Indices in LC-HRMS for Enhanced Structural Identification of Organic Micropollutants in Water: Selectivity-Based Filtration.
Anal Chem
January 2025
Separation Science Group, Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S4bis, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Addressing the global challenge of ensuring access to safe drinking water, especially in developing countries, demands cost-effective, eco-friendly, and readily available technologies. The persistence, toxicity, and bioaccumulation potential of organic pollutants arising from various human activities pose substantial hurdles. While high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS) is a widely utilized technique for identifying pollutants in water, the multitude of structures for a single elemental composition complicates structural identification.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFocusing Effects on Laser-Induced Plasma Parameters: Applications to a Graphite Target Under Martian Atmospheric Conditions.
Appl Spectrosc
January 2025
Department of Physics & Applied Physics, Kennedy College of Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA.
Under various atmospheric conditions, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a powerful technique for elemental analysis, including in Earth- and Mars-like environments. However, understanding the plasma behavior and its dependence on ambient pressure and laser parameters remains a challenge. In this study, a numerical model based on a three-temperature Eulerian radiation framework under non-local thermodynamic equilibrium conditions is employed to investigate the interaction of a nanosecond laser pulse with a graphite target under helium (He) and carbon dioxide (CO atmospheres.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPreparation of novel lithiated high-entropy spinel-type oxyhalides and their electrochemical performance in Li-ion batteries.
Nanoscale
January 2025
J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Acad. Sci., Dolejškova 3, CZ-18200, Prague 8, Czech Republic.
Compositionally complex doping of spinel oxides toward high-entropy oxides is expected to enhance their electrochemical performance substantially. We successfully prepared high-entropy compounds, the oxide (ZnMgCoCu)FeO (HEOFe), lithiated oxyfluoride Li(ZnMgCoCu)FeOF (LiHEOFeF), and lithiated oxychloride Li(ZnMgCoCu)FeOCl (LiHEOFeCl) with a spinel-based cubic structure by ball milling and subsequent heat treatment. The products exhibit particles with sizes from 50 to 200 nm with a homogeneous atomic distribution.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhase evolutions of sodium layered oxide cathodes during thermal fluctuations.
Chem Commun (Camb)
January 2025
College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China.
Layered transition metal oxide (NaTMO) cathodes are considered highly appropriate for the practical applications of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) owing to their facile synthesis and high theoretical capacity. Generally, the phase evolution behaviors of NaTMO during solid-state reactions at high temperature closely related to their carbon footprint, prime cost, and the eventual electrochemical properties, while the thermal stability in various desodiated states associated with wide temperature fluctuations are extremely prominent to the electrochemical properties and safety of SIB devices. Therefore, in this review, the influences of sintering conditions such as pyrolysis temperature, soaking time, and cooling rates on the phase formation patterns of NaTMO are summarized.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!