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Abrahamsson V, Henderson BL, Friedman A, Gross J, Prothmann J, Davila AF, Williams AJ, Lin Y, Kanik I, Zhong F. Supercritical CO 2 and Subcritical H 2O Analysis Instrument: Automated Lipid Analysis for In Situ Planetary Life Detection. Anal Chem 2024; 96:13389-13397. [PMID: 39120043 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c00474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
The search for extraterrestrial extant or extinct life in our Solar System will require highly capable instrumentation and methods for detecting low concentrations of biosignatures. This paper introduces the Supercritical CO2 and Subcritical H2O Analysis (SCHAN) instrument, a portable and automated system that integrates supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), and subcritical water extraction coupled with liquid chromatography. The instrument is compact and weighs 6.3 kg, making it suitable for spaceflight missions to planetary bodies. Traditional techniques, such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (MS), face challenges with involatile and thermally labile analytes, necessitating derivatization. The SCHAN instrument, however, eliminates the need for derivatization and cosolvents by utilizing neat supercritical CO2 with water as an additive. This SFE-SFC-MS method gives efficient lipid biosignature separations with median detection limits of 10 pg/g (ppt) for fatty acids and 50 pg/g (ppt) for sterols. Several free fatty acids and cholesterol were among the detected peaks in biologically lean samples from the Atacama Desert, demonstrating the instrument's potential for in situ life detection missions. The SCHAN instrument addresses the challenges of conventional systems, offering a compact, portable, and spaceflight-compatible tool for the analysis of organics for future astrobiology-focused missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Abrahamsson
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena ,California 91109-8001, United States
| | - Bryana L Henderson
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena ,California 91109-8001, United States
| | - Adam Friedman
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena ,California 91109-8001, United States
| | - Johannes Gross
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena ,California 91109-8001, United States
| | - Jens Prothmann
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena ,California 91109-8001, United States
| | - Alfonso F Davila
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field ,California 94035-1000, United States
| | - Amy J Williams
- University of Florida, Gainesville ,Florida 32611-7011, United States
| | - Ying Lin
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena ,California 91109-8001, United States
| | - Isik Kanik
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena ,California 91109-8001, United States
| | - Fang Zhong
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena ,California 91109-8001, United States
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Garcia A, Serra C, Remaury QB, Garcia AD, Righezza M, Meinert C, Poinot P, Danger G. Gas chromatography coupled-to Fourier transform orbitrap mass spectrometer for enantioselective amino acid analyses: Application to pre-cometary organic analog. J Chromatogr A 2023; 1704:464118. [PMID: 37315448 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2023.464118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Gas chromatography (GC) is a separation technique commonly developed for targeted in situ analyses in planetary space missions. It is coupled with low-resolution mass spectrometry to obtain additional structural information and allow compound identification. However, ground-based analyses of extraterrestrial samples have shown the presence of large molecular diversities. For future targeted in situ analyses, it is therefore essential to develop new technologies. High resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) is currently being spatialized using FT-orbitrap-MS technology. In this contribution, the coupling of gas chromatography with FT-orbitrap-MS is studied for targeted amino acid analyses. The method for enantioselective separation of amino acids was optimized on a standard mixture comprising 47 amino acid enantiomers. Different ionization modes were optimized, chemical ionization with three different reactive gasses (NH3, CH4 and NH3/CH4) and electron impact ionization at different electron energies. Single ion and full scan monitoring modes were compared, and detection and quantification limits were estimated by internal calibration under the optimized conditions. The GC-FT-orbitrap-MS demonstrated its ability to separate 47 amino acid enantiomers with minimal co-elution. Furthermore, due to the high mass resolution and accuracy of FT-orbitrap-MS, with mass extraction, the S/N is close to zero, allowing average LOD values of 10⁻7 M, orders of magnitude lower than conventional GC-MS techniques. Finally, these conditions were tested for enantioselective analysis of amino acids on an analog of a pre-cometary organic material showing similarities to that of extraterrestrial materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Garcia
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Institut Origines, Laboratoire PIIM, Marseille, France
| | - C Serra
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Institut Origines, Laboratoire PIIM, Marseille, France; UMR CNRS 7285, Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP), E.BiCoM Team, University of Poitiers, 4 rue Michel-Brunet, TSA 51106, 86073, Poitiers, Cedex 9, France
| | - Q Blancart Remaury
- UMR CNRS 7285, Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP), E.BiCoM Team, University of Poitiers, 4 rue Michel-Brunet, TSA 51106, 86073, Poitiers, Cedex 9, France
| | - A D Garcia
- Université Côte d'Azur, Institut de Chimie de Nice, UMR 7272 CNRS, F-06108 Nice, France
| | - M Righezza
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Institut Origines, Laboratoire PIIM, Marseille, France
| | - C Meinert
- Université Côte d'Azur, Institut de Chimie de Nice, UMR 7272 CNRS, F-06108 Nice, France
| | - P Poinot
- UMR CNRS 7285, Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP), E.BiCoM Team, University of Poitiers, 4 rue Michel-Brunet, TSA 51106, 86073, Poitiers, Cedex 9, France
| | - G Danger
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Institut Origines, Laboratoire PIIM, Marseille, France; Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), France.
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Mora MF, Kok MGM, Noell A, Willis PA. Detection of Biosignatures by Capillary Electrophoresis Mass Spectrometry in the Presence of Salts Relevant to Ocean Worlds Missions. ASTROBIOLOGY 2022; 22:914-925. [PMID: 35913998 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a promising liquid-based technique for in situ chemical analysis on ocean worlds that allows the detection of a wide range of organic molecules relevant to the search for life. CE coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) is particularly valuable as it also enables the discovery of unknown compounds. Here we demonstrate that CE coupled to MS via electrospray ionization (ESI) can readily analyze samples containing up to half the saturation levels of salts relevant to ocean worlds when using 5 M acetic acid as the separation media. A mixture containing amino acids, peptides, nucleobases, and nucleosides was analyzed in the presence of two salts, NaCl and MgSO4, based on their relevance to Europa and Enceladus. We demonstrate here CE-MS limits of detection for these organics ranging from 0.05 to 1 μM (8 to 89 ppb) in the absence of salts. More importantly, we demonstrate here for the first time that organics in the low micromolar range (1-50 μM) are detected by CE-MS in the presence of 3 M NaCl without desalting, preconcentration, or derivatization. This demonstration highlights how CE-MS is uniquely suited for organic analysis on future missions to ocean worlds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria F Mora
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Miranda G M Kok
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Aaron Noell
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Peter A Willis
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
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Ribette T, Leroux B, Eddhif B, Allavena A, David M, Sternberg R, Poinot P, Geffroy-Rodier C. Primary Step Towards In Situ Detection of Chemical Biomarkers in the UNIVERSE via Liquid-Based Analytical System: Development of an Automated Online Trapping/Liquid Chromatography System. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24071429. [PMID: 30978982 PMCID: PMC6480246 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24071429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The search for biomarkers in our solar system is a fundamental challenge for the space research community. It encompasses major difficulties linked to their very low concentration levels, their ambiguous origins (biotic or abiotic), as well as their diversity and complexity. Even if, in 40 years’ time, great improvements in sample pre-treatment, chromatographic separation and mass spectrometry detection have been achieved, there is still a need for new in situ scientific instrumentation. This work presents an original liquid chromatographic system with a trapping unit dedicated to the one-pot detection of a large set of non-volatile extra-terrestrial compounds. It is composed of two units, monitored by a single pump. The first unit is an online trapping unit able to trap polar, apolar, monomeric and polymeric organics. The second unit is an online analytical unit with a high-resolution Q-Orbitrap mass spectrometer. The designed single pump system was as efficient as a laboratory dual-trap LC system for the analysis of amino acids, nucleobases and oligopeptides. The overall setup significantly improves sensitivity, providing limits of detection ranging from ppb to ppt levels, thus meeting with in situ enquiries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Ribette
- Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP), Université de Poitiers, UMR CNRS 7285, Equipe Eau Géochimie Santé, 4 rue Michel Brunet, 86076 Poitiers, France.
| | - Bertrand Leroux
- Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP), Université de Poitiers, UMR CNRS 7285, Equipe Eau Géochimie Santé, 4 rue Michel Brunet, 86076 Poitiers, France.
| | - Balkis Eddhif
- Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP), Université de Poitiers, UMR CNRS 7285, Equipe Eau Géochimie Santé, 4 rue Michel Brunet, 86076 Poitiers, France.
| | - Audrey Allavena
- Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP), Université de Poitiers, UMR CNRS 7285, Equipe Eau Géochimie Santé, 4 rue Michel Brunet, 86076 Poitiers, France.
| | - Marc David
- Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques (LISA), Université Paris Est Creteil, UMR CNRS 7583, 61 avenue du General de Gaulle, 94010 Créteil, France.
| | - Robert Sternberg
- Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques (LISA), Université Paris Est Creteil, UMR CNRS 7583, 61 avenue du General de Gaulle, 94010 Créteil, France.
| | - Pauline Poinot
- Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP), Université de Poitiers, UMR CNRS 7285, Equipe Eau Géochimie Santé, 4 rue Michel Brunet, 86076 Poitiers, France.
| | - Claude Geffroy-Rodier
- Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP), Université de Poitiers, UMR CNRS 7285, Equipe Eau Géochimie Santé, 4 rue Michel Brunet, 86076 Poitiers, France.
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Nascetti A, Mirasoli M, Marchegiani E, Zangheri M, Costantini F, Porchetta A, Iannascoli L, Lovecchio N, Caputo D, de Cesare G, Pirrotta S, Roda A. Integrated chemiluminescence-based lab-on-chip for detection of life markers in extraterrestrial environments. Biosens Bioelectron 2019; 123:195-203. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2018.08.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Revised: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Abstract
The discovery of meteoritic alpha-amino acids with significant enantiomeric excesses of the L-form has suggested that some cosmic factors could serve as the initial source for chiral imbalance of organic compounds delivered to the early Earth. The paper reviews major hypothesis considering the influence of chiral irradiation and chiral combinations of physical fields on the possible ways asymmetric synthesis and transformations of organics could take place within the solar system. They could result in a small enantiomeric imbalance of some groups of compounds. More attention is paid to the hypothesis on parity violation of weak interaction that was supposed to cause homochirality of all primary particles and a more significant homochirality of compounds directly synthesized from the latter in a plasma reactor. The first experiment with material synthesized in a plasma torch resulting from a super-high-velocity impact showed formation of alanine with the excess of L-form between 7 and 25%. The supposed conclusion is that L-amino acids could serve as a starting homochiral biomolecular pool for life to emerge all over the Universe.
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Fox S, Strasdeit H. Inhabited or Uninhabited? Pitfalls in the Interpretation of Possible Chemical Signatures of Extraterrestrial Life. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1622. [PMID: 28970819 PMCID: PMC5609592 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The "Rare Earth" hypothesis-put forward by Ward and Brownlee in their 2000 book of the same title-states that prokaryote-type organisms may be common in the universe but animals and higher plants are exceedingly rare. If this idea is correct, the search for extraterrestrial life is essentially the search for microorganisms. Various indicators may be used to detect extant or extinct microbial life beyond Earth. Among them are chemical biosignatures, such as biomolecules and stable isotope ratios. The present minireview focuses on the major problems associated with the identification of chemical biosignatures. Two main types of misinterpretation are distinguished, namely false positive and false negative results. The former can be caused by terrestrial biogenic contaminants or by abiotic products. Terrestrial contamination is a common problem in space missions that search for biosignatures on other planets and moons. Abiotic organics can lead to false positive results if erroneously interpreted as biomolecules, but also to false negatives, for example when an abiotic source obscures a less productive biological one. In principle, all types of putative chemical biosignatures are prone to misinterpretation. Some, however, are more reliable ("stronger") than others. These include: (i) homochiral polymers of defined length and sequence, comparable to proteins and polynucleotides; (ii) enantiopure compounds; (iii) the existence of only a subset of molecules when abiotic syntheses would produce a continuous range of molecules; the proteinogenic amino acids constitute such a subset. These considerations are particularly important for life detection missions to solar system bodies such as Mars, Europa, and Enceladus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Fox
- Department of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of HohenheimStuttgart, Germany
| | - Henry Strasdeit
- Department of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of HohenheimStuttgart, Germany
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Gas chromatographic separation of stereoisomers of non-protein amino acids on modified γ-cyclodextrin stationary phase. J Chromatogr A 2015; 1411:101-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2015.07.082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2015] [Revised: 07/20/2015] [Accepted: 07/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Willis PA, Creamer JS, Mora MF. Implementation of microchip electrophoresis instrumentation for future spaceflight missions. Anal Bioanal Chem 2015; 407:6939-63. [PMID: 26253225 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-015-8903-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2015] [Revised: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
We present a comprehensive discussion of the role that microchip electrophoresis (ME) instrumentation could play in future NASA missions of exploration, as well as the current barriers that must be overcome to make this type of chemical investigation possible. We describe how ME would be able to fill fundamental gaps in our knowledge of the potential for past, present, or future life beyond Earth. Despite the great promise of ME for ultrasensitive portable chemical analysis, to date, it has never been used on a robotic mission of exploration to another world. We provide a current snapshot of the technology readiness level (TRL) of ME instrumentation, where the TRL is the NASA systems engineering metric used to evaluate the maturity of technology, and its fitness for implementation on missions. We explain how the NASA flight implementation process would apply specifically to ME instrumentation, and outline the scientific and technology development issues that must be addressed for ME analyses to be performed successfully on another world. We also outline research demonstrations that could be accomplished by independent researchers to help advance the TRL of ME instrumentation for future exploration missions. The overall approach described here for system development could be readily applied to a wide range of other instrumentation development efforts having broad societal and commercial impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A Willis
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Dr., Pasadena, CA, 91109, USA,
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