Device could help detect signs of extraterrestrial life

Date:
September 16, 2020
Source:
American Chemical Society
Summary:
Although Earth is uniquely situated in the solar system to
support creatures that call it home, different forms of life could
have once existed, or might still exist, on other planets. But
finding traces of past or current lifeforms on other worlds is
challenging. Now, researchers have developed a fully automated
microchip electrophoresis analyzer that, when incorporated into
a planetary rover, could someday detect organic biosignatures in
extraterrestrial soil.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Although Earth is uniquely situated in the solar system to support
creatures that call it home, different forms of life could have once
existed, or might still exist, on other planets. But finding traces
of past or current lifeforms on other worlds is challenging. Now,
researchers reporting in ACS' Analytical Chemistry have developed a fully automated microchip electrophoresis analyzer that, when incorporated
into a planetary rover, could someday detect organic biosignatures in extraterrestrial soil.


==========================================================================
One critical piece of evidence for life beyond Earth is the presence
of certain organic molecules. Previous missions to Mars have relied on
gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to separate
and detect compounds. However, the technique has limitations for the
analysis of some molecules, such as organic acids, especially when water, minerals or salts are also in the sample.

Microchip electrophoresis (ME)-based separations, followed by
laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection, would be ideal, but current instruments are only partially automated, which wouldn't work for interplanetary missions. Peter Willis and colleagues wanted to develop a portable, battery-powered ME-LIF instrument that could accept a sample
and perform labeling, separation and detection of organic molecules,
all in a fully automated fashion.

The researchers made a device that included two microchips -- one for processing and labeling a liquid sample, and the other (the ME chip) for separating compounds -- and an LIF detection system. After optimizing
the device, the researchers put it to the test in a simulated Mars
mission in a Chilean desert. The team coupled the analyzer to a portable subcritical water extractor on a remotely deployed rover system. The
rover drilled into the soil to collect samples, which were delivered
to the extractor. Then, water was added to the soil samples, and they
were heated to extract compounds for analysis. The device detected parts
per billion levels of amino acids in soil from three of four drilling locations. Importantly, the sensitivity was three orders of magnitude
higher than that reported for GC-MS-based methods. Although more work
is needed to ready the instrument for spaceflight and extraterrestrial conditions, this research lays the foundation for developing ME-LIF
instruments for missions seeking signs of life beyond Earth, the
researchers say.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by American_Chemical_Society. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Maria F. Mora, Florian Kehl, Eric Tavares da Costa, Nathan Bramall,
Peter
A. Willis. Fully Automated Microchip Electrophoresis Analyzer for
Potential Life Detection Missions. Analytical Chemistry, 2020;
DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c01628 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200916113420.htm

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