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Schaible MJ, Szeinbaum N, Bozdag GO, Chou L, Grefenstette N, Colón-Santos S, Rodriguez LE, Styczinski MJ, Thweatt JL, Todd ZR, Vázquez-Salazar A, Adams A, Araújo MN, Altair T, Borges S, Burton D, Campillo-Balderas JA, Cangi EM, Caro T, Catalano E, Chen K, Conlin PL, Cooper ZS, Fisher TM, Fos SM, Garcia A, Glaser DM, Harman CE, Hermis NY, Hooks M, Johnson-Finn K, Lehmer O, Hernández-Morales R, Hughson KHG, Jácome R, Jia TZ, Marlow JJ, McKaig J, Mierzejewski V, Muñoz-Velasco I, Nural C, Oliver GC, Penev PI, Raj CG, Roche TP, Sabuda MC, Schaible GA, Sevgen S, Sinhadc P, Steller LH, Stelmach K, Tarnas J, Tavares F, Trubl G, Vidaurri M, Vincent L, Weber JM, Weng MM, Wilpiszeki RL, Young A. Chapter 1: The Astrobiology Primer 3.0. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:S4-S39. [PMID: 38498816 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
The Astrobiology Primer 3.0 (ABP3.0) is a concise introduction to the field of astrobiology for students and others who are new to the field of astrobiology. It provides an entry into the broader materials in this supplementary issue of Astrobiology and an overview of the investigations and driving hypotheses that make up this interdisciplinary field. The content of this chapter was adapted from the other 10 articles in this supplementary issue and thus represents the contribution of all the authors who worked on these introductory articles. The content of this chapter is not exhaustive and represents the topics that the authors found to be the most important and compelling in a dynamic and changing field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micah J Schaible
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Nadia Szeinbaum
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - G Ozan Bozdag
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Luoth Chou
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
- Center for Space Sciences and Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA
| | - Natalie Grefenstette
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Stephanie Colón-Santos
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Laura E Rodriguez
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, Houston, Texas, USA
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - M J Styczinski
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Jennifer L Thweatt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Zoe R Todd
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Alberto Vázquez-Salazar
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Alyssa Adams
- Center for Space Sciences and Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - M N Araújo
- Biochemistry Department, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Thiago Altair
- Institute of Chemistry of São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
- Department of Chemistry, College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine, USA
| | | | - Dana Burton
- Department of Anthropology, George Washington University, Washington DC, USA
| | | | - Eryn M Cangi
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Tristan Caro
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Enrico Catalano
- Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, The BioRobotics Institute, Pisa, Italy
| | - Kimberly Chen
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Peter L Conlin
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Z S Cooper
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Theresa M Fisher
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Santiago Mestre Fos
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Amanda Garcia
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - D M Glaser
- Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Chester E Harman
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ninos Y Hermis
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Department of Physics and Space Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - M Hooks
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - K Johnson-Finn
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
| | - Owen Lehmer
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Ricardo Hernández-Morales
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Kynan H G Hughson
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Rodrigo Jácome
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Tony Z Jia
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jeffrey J Marlow
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jordan McKaig
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Veronica Mierzejewski
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Israel Muñoz-Velasco
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ceren Nural
- Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Gina C Oliver
- Department of Geology, San Bernardino Valley College, San Bernardino, California, USA
| | - Petar I Penev
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Chinmayee Govinda Raj
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Tyler P Roche
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Mary C Sabuda
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - George A Schaible
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Serhat Sevgen
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Erdemli, Mersin, Turkey
| | - Pritvik Sinhadc
- BEYOND: Center For Fundamental Concepts in Science, Arizona State University, Arizona, USA
- Dubai College, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Luke H Steller
- Australian Centre for Astrobiology, and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
| | - Kamil Stelmach
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - J Tarnas
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Frank Tavares
- Space Enabled Research Group, MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Gareth Trubl
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USA
| | - Monica Vidaurri
- Center for Space Sciences and Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Howard University, Washington DC, USA
| | - Lena Vincent
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jessica M Weber
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | | | | | - Amber Young
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
- Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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Qu Y, Yin Z, Kustatscher E, Nützel A, Peckmann J, Vajda V, Ivarsson M. Traces of Ancient Life in Oceanic Basalt Preserved as Iron-Mineralized Ultrastructures: Implications for Detecting Extraterrestrial Biosignatures. ASTROBIOLOGY 2023; 23:769-785. [PMID: 37222732 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2022.0075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Benefiting from their adaptability to extreme environments, subsurface microorganisms have been discovered in sedimentary and igneous rock environments on Earth and have been advocated as candidates in the search for extraterrestrial life. In this article, we study iron-mineralized microstructures in calcite-filled veins within basaltic pillows of the late Ladinian Fernazza group (Middle Triassic, 239 Ma) in Italy. These microstructures represent diverse morphologies, including filaments, globules, nodules, and micro-digitate stromatolites, which are similar to extant iron-oxidizing bacterial communities. In situ analyses including Raman spectroscopy have been used to investigate the morphological, elemental, mineralogical, and bond-vibrational modes of the microstructures. According to the Raman spectral parameters, iron minerals preserve heterogeneous ultrastructures and crystallinities, coinciding with the morphologies and precursor microbial activities. The degree of crystallinity usually represents a microscale gradient decreasing toward previously existing microbial cells, revealing a decline of mineralization due to microbial activities. This study provides an analog of possible rock-dwelling subsurface life on Mars or icy moons and advocates Raman spectroscopy as an efficient tool for in situ analyses. We put forward the concept that ultrastructural characteristics of minerals described by Raman spectral parameters corresponding to microscale morphologies could be employed as carbon-lean biosignatures in future space missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuangao Qu
- Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - Zongjun Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Evelyn Kustatscher
- Museum of Nature South Tyrol, Bozen/Bolzano, Italy
- Department für Geo- und Umweltwissenschaften, Paläontologie und Geobiologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany
- SNSB-Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geobiologie, München, Germany
| | - Alexander Nützel
- Department für Geo- und Umweltwissenschaften, Paläontologie und Geobiologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany
- SNSB-Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geobiologie, München, Germany
- GeoBio-Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Germany
| | - Jörn Peckmann
- Institute für Geologie, Centrum für Erdsystemforschung und Nachhaltigkeit, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Vivi Vajda
- Department of Paleobiology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Magnus Ivarsson
- Department of Paleobiology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
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Bassez MP. The Possible Role of Anoxic Alkaline High Subcritical Water in the Formation of Ferric Minerals, Methane and Disordered Graphitic Carbon in a BARB3 Drilled Sample of the 3.4 Ga Buck Reef Chert. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2023; 53:1-41. [PMID: 37584846 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-023-09638-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
The present article reports Raman spectroscopic observations of siderite, hematite, disordered graphitic carbon and possibly greenalite inside the quartz matrix of a banded iron sample from the BARB3 core drilled inside the 3.4 Ga Buck Reef Chert of the Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa. The article also reports Raman spectroscopic observations of quartz cavities, concluding in the presence of water, methane and sodium hydroxide at high concentration leading to pH ~ 15 inside the inclusion, suggesting an Archean water which was strongly basic. FeIII-greenalite may also be present inside the inclusion. The possible role of anoxic alkaline high subcritical water in the formation of ferric minerals and the CO required for the synthesis of molecules of biological interest has been demonstrated theoretically since 2013 and summarized in the concept of Geobiotropy. The present article experimentally confirms the importance of considering water in its anoxic strongly alkaline high subcritical domain for the formation of quartz, hematite, FeIII-greenalite, methane and disordered graphitic carbon. Methane is proposed to form locally when the carbon dioxide that is dissolved in the Archean anoxic alkaline high subcritical water, interacts with the molecular hydrogen that is emitted during the anoxic alkaline oxidation of ferrous silicates. The carbon matter is proposed to form as deposition from the anoxic methane-rich fluid. A detailed study of carbon matter from diverse origins is presented in a supplementary file. The study shows that the BARB3_23B sample has been submitted to ~ 335 °C, a temperature of the high subcritical domain, and that the graphitic structure contains very low amounts of oxygen and no hydroxyl functional groups. The importance of considering the structure of water is applied to the constructions of the Neoproterozoic and Archean banded iron formations. It is proposed that their minerals are produced inside chemical reaction chambers containing ferrous silicates, and ejected from the Earth's oceanic crust or upper mantle, during processes involving subduction events or not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Paule Bassez
- University of Strasbourg, Jean-Marie Lehn Foundation, Strasbourg, France.
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4
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Napoli A, Coleine C, Ulrich NJ, Moeller R, Billi D, Selbmann L. Snow Surface Microbial Diversity at the Detection Limit within the Vicinity of the Concordia Station, Antarctica. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 13:life13010113. [PMID: 36676062 PMCID: PMC9863605 DOI: 10.3390/life13010113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The Concordia Research Station provides a unique location for preparatory activities for future human journey to Mars, to explore microbial diversity at subzero temperatures, and monitor the dissemination of human-associated microorganisms within the pristine surrounding environment. Amplicon sequencing was leveraged to investigate the microbial diversity of surface snow samples collected monthly over a two-year period, at three distances from the Station (10, 500, and 1000 m). Even when the extracted total DNA was below the detection limit, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was successfully performed on all samples, while 18S rRNA was amplified on 19 samples out of 51. No significant relationships were observed between microbial diversity and seasonality (summer or winter) or distance from the Concordia base. This suggested that if present, the anthropogenic impact should have been below the detectable limit. While harboring low microbial diversity, the surface snow samples were characterized by heterogeneous microbiomes. Ultimately, our study corroborated the use of DNA sequencing-based techniques for revealing microbial presence in remote and hostile environments, with implications for Planetary Protection during space missions and for life-detection in astrobiology relevant targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Napoli
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Ph.D. Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Coleine
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Nikea J. Ulrich
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Ralf Moeller
- Aerospace Microbiology Research Group, Radiation Biology Department, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center (DLR), 28359 Cologne, Germany
- Department of Natural Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (BRSU), 53359 Rheinbach, Germany
- Correspondence: (R.M.); (D.B.)
| | - Daniela Billi
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: (R.M.); (D.B.)
| | - Laura Selbmann
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
- Mycological Section, Italian Antarctic National Museum (MNA), 16128 Genoa, Italy
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5
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Abstract
Anthraquinones are a family of natural products with useful bioactivity and optical properties. An anthraquinone called parietin is produced by extremophiles to protect against solar ultraviolet B radiation, so it is a potential biosignature in astrobiology. Raman spectroscopy, which is now used in space environments, can detect molecules such as parietin based on molecular vibrations. In this study, we show that time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) can accurately calculate the Raman spectra of three dihydroxyanthraquinones: parietin, emodin, and chrysophanol. By comparing calculated spectra to measured Raman spectra from purified powders, 10 vibrational modes are identified. The detailed molecular motions of these fused ring vibrations are described, and vibrations modes that are common to all three molecules are highlighted. In addition to powder spectra, Raman measurements from the thallus of Xanthoria parietina, a lichen that produces parietin, are reported, with excellent agreement to both the parietin powder and calculated Raman spectra. These results show that TDDFT calculations could make significant contributions to spectral analysis in the search for biotic organic materials beyond Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu L Simeral
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jason H Hafner
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
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Billi D, Blanco Y, Ianneo A, Moreno-Paz M, Aguirre J, Baqué M, Moeller R, de Vera JP, Parro V. Mars-like UV Flux and Ionizing Radiation Differently Affect Biomarker Detectability in the Desert Cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis as Revealed by the Life Detector Chip Antibody Microarray. ASTROBIOLOGY 2022; 22:1199-1209. [PMID: 36194868 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2022.0013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The effect of a Mars-like UV flux and γ-radiation on the detectability of biomarkers in dried cells of Chroococcidiopsis sp. CCMEE 029 was investigated using a fluorescence sandwich microarray immunoassay. The production of anti-Chroococcidiopsis antibodies allowed the immunoidentification of a reduced, though still detectable, signal in dried cells mixed with phyllosilicatic and sulfatic Mars regolith simulants after exposure to 6.8 × 105 kJ/m2 of a Mars-like UV flux. No signal was detected in dried cells that were not mixed with minerals after 1.4 × 105 kJ/m2. For γ-radiation (60Co), no detectable variations of the fluorescence signal occurred in dried cells exposed to 113 kGy compared to non-irradiated dried cells. Our results suggest that immunoassay-based techniques could be used to detect life tracers eventually present in the martian subsurface in freshly excavated materials only if shielded from solar UV. The high structural integrity of biomarkers irradiated with γ-radiation that mimics a dose accumulated in 13 Myr at 2 m depth from the martian surface has implications for the potential detectability of similar organic molecules/compounds by future life-detection missions such as the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Billi
- University of Rome Tor Vergata, Department of Biology, Rome, Italy
| | - Yolanda Blanco
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA, Department of Molecular Evolution, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andrea Ianneo
- University of Rome Tor Vergata, Department of Biology, Rome, Italy
| | - Mercedes Moreno-Paz
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA, Department of Molecular Evolution, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jacobo Aguirre
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA, Department of Molecular Evolution, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mickael Baqué
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Planetary Research, Planetary Laboratories Department, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ralf Moeller
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology Department, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jean-Pierre de Vera
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Space Operations and Astronaut Training, Microgravity User Support Center, Cologne, Germany
| | - Victor Parro
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA, Department of Molecular Evolution, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
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Osterhout JT, Schopf JW, Kudryavtsev AB, Czaja AD, Williford KH. Deep-UV Raman Spectroscopy of Carbonaceous Precambrian Microfossils: Insights into the Search for Past Life on Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2022; 22:1239-1254. [PMID: 36194869 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The current strategy for detecting evidence of ancient life on Mars-a primary goal of NASA's ongoing Mars 2020 mission-is based largely on knowledge of Precambrian life and of its preservation in Earth's early rock record. The fossil record of primitive microorganisms consists mainly of stromatolites and other microbially influenced sedimentary structures, which occasionally preserve microfossils or other geochemical traces of life. Raman spectroscopy is an invaluable tool for identifying such signs of life and is routinely performed on Precambrian microfossils to help establish their organic composition, degree of thermal maturity, and biogenicity. The Mars 2020 rover, Perseverance, is equipped with a deep-ultraviolet (UV) Raman spectrometer as part of the SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals) instrument, which will be used in part to characterize the preservation of organic matter in the ancient sedimentary rocks of Jezero crater and therein search for possible biosignatures. To determine the deep-UV Raman spectra characteristic of ancient microbial fossils, this study analyzes individual microfossils from 14 Precambrian cherts using deep-UV (244 nm) Raman spectroscopy. Spectra obtained were measured and calibrated relative to a graphitic standard and categorized according to the morphology and depositional environment of the fossil analyzed and its Raman-indicated thermal maturity. All acquired spectra of the fossil kerogens include a considerably Raman-enhanced and prominent first-order Raman G-band (∼1600 cm-1), whereas its commonly associated D-band (∼1350 cm-1) is restricted to specimens of lower thermal maturity (below greenschist facies) that thus have the less altered biosignature indicative of relatively well-preserved organic matter. If comparably preserved, similar characteristics would be expected to be exhibited by microfossils or ancient organic matter in rock samples collected and cached on Mars in preparation for future sample return to Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey T Osterhout
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Center for the Study of Evolution and the Origin of Life, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - J William Schopf
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Center for the Study of Evolution and the Origin of Life, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Anatoliy B Kudryavtsev
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Center for the Study of Evolution and the Origin of Life, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Andrew D Czaja
- Department of Geology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Kenneth H Williford
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
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8
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Hickman-Lewis K, Moore KR, Hollis JJR, Tuite ML, Beegle LW, Bhartia R, Grotzinger JP, Brown AJ, Shkolyar S, Cavalazzi B, Smith CL. In Situ Identification of Paleoarchean Biosignatures Using Colocated Perseverance Rover Analyses: Perspectives for In Situ Mars Science and Sample Return. ASTROBIOLOGY 2022; 22:1143-1163. [PMID: 35862422 PMCID: PMC9508457 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2022.0018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is currently exploring Jezero crater, a Noachian-Hesperian locality that once hosted a delta-lake system with high habitability and biosignature preservation potential. Perseverance conducts detailed appraisals of rock targets using a synergistic payload capable of geological characterization from kilometer to micron scales. The highest-resolution textural and chemical information will be provided by correlated WATSON (imaging), SHERLOC (deep-UV Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy), and PIXL (X-ray lithochemistry) analyses, enabling the distributions of organic and mineral phases within rock targets to be comprehensively established. Herein, we analyze Paleoarchean microbial mats from the ∼3.42 Ga Buck Reef Chert (Barberton greenstone belt, South Africa)-considered astrobiological analogues for a putative ancient martian biosphere-following a WATSON-SHERLOC-PIXL protocol identical to that conducted by Perseverance on Mars during all sampling activities. Correlating deep-UV Raman and fluorescence spectroscopic mapping with X-ray elemental mapping, we show that the Perseverance payload has the capability to detect thermally and texturally mature organic materials of biogenic origin and can highlight organic-mineral interrelationships and elemental colocation at fine spatial scales. We also show that the Perseverance protocol obtains very similar results to high-performance laboratory imaging, Raman spectroscopy, and μXRF instruments. This is encouraging for the prospect of detecting microscale organic-bearing textural biosignatures on Mars using the correlative micro-analytical approach enabled by WATSON, SHERLOC, and PIXL; indeed, laminated, organic-bearing samples such as those studied herein are considered plausible analogues of biosignatures from a potential Noachian-Hesperian biosphere. Were similar materials discovered at Jezero crater, they would offer opportunities to reconstruct aspects of the early martian carbon cycle and search for potential fossilized traces of life in ancient paleoenvironments. Such samples should be prioritized for caching and eventual return to Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keyron Hickman-Lewis
- Department of Earth Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Kelsey R. Moore
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, USA
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - John P. Grotzinger
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | | | - Svetlana Shkolyar
- Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
- Planetary Geology, Geophysics and Geochemistry Lab, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - Barbara Cavalazzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Geology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Caroline L. Smith
- Department of Earth Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
- School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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9
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Lalla EA, Konstantinidis M, Veneranda M, Daly MG, Manrique JA, Lymer EA, Freemantle J, Cloutis EA, Stromberg JM, Shkolyar S, Caudill C, Applin D, Vago JL, Rull F, Lopez-Reyes G. Raman Characterization of the CanMars Rover Field Campaign Samples Using the Raman Laser Spectrometer ExoMars Simulator: Implications for Mars and Planetary Exploration. ASTROBIOLOGY 2022; 22:416-438. [PMID: 35041521 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover landed on February 18, 2021, and has started ground operations. The ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover will touch down on June 10, 2023. Perseverance will be the first-ever Mars sample caching mission-a first step in sample return to Earth. SuperCam and Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals (SHERLOC) on Perseverance, and Raman Laser Spectrometer (RLS) on Rosalind Franklin, will comprise the first ever in situ planetary mission Raman spectroscopy instruments to identify rocks, minerals, and potential organic biosignatures on Mars' surface. There are many challenges associated when using Raman instruments and the optimization and quantitative analysis of resulting data. To understand how best to overcome them, we performed a comprehensive Raman analysis campaign on CanMars, a Mars sample caching rover analog mission undertaken in Hanksville, Utah, USA, in 2016. The Hanksville region presents many similarities to Oxia Planum's past habitable conditions, including liquid water, flocculent, and elemental compounds (such as clays), catalysts, substrates, and energy/food sources for life. We sampled and conducted a complete band analysis of Raman spectra as mission validation analysis with the RLS ExoMars Simulator or RLS Sim, a breadboard setup representative of the ExoMars RLS instrument. RLS Sim emulates the operational behavior of RLS on the Rosalind Franklin rover. Given the high fidelity of the Mars analog site and the RLS Sim, the results presented here may provide important information useful for guiding in situ analysis and sample triage for caching relevant for the Perseverance and Rosalind Franklin missions. By using the RLS Sim on CanMars samples, our measurements detected oxides, sulfates, nitrates, carbonates, feldspars, and carotenoids, many with a higher degree of sensitivity than past results. Future work with the RLS Sim will aim to continue developing and improving the capability of the RLS system in the future ExoMars mission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel A Lalla
- Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science, Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Menelaos Konstantinidis
- Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science, Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, Toronto, Canada
- Division of Biostatistics, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Marco Veneranda
- Unidad Asociada Universidad de Valladolid-CSIC-CAB, Boecillo, Spain
| | - Michael G Daly
- Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science, Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Elizabeth A Lymer
- Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science, Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, Toronto, Canada
| | - James Freemantle
- Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science, Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Edward A Cloutis
- Department of Geography, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Jessica M Stromberg
- Department of Geography, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Canada
- CSIRO Mineral Resources, Kensington, Australia
| | - Svetlana Shkolyar
- Universities Space Research Association, Columbia, Maryland, USA
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Christy Caudill
- Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration/Department of Earth Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Daniel Applin
- Department of Geography, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Jorge L Vago
- European Space Agency, ESA/ESTEC (SCI-S), Noordwijk, The Netherlands
| | - Fernando Rull
- Unidad Asociada Universidad de Valladolid-CSIC-CAB, Boecillo, Spain
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10
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Goodwin A, Papineau D. Biosignatures Associated with Organic Matter in Late Paleoproterozoic Stromatolitic Dolomite and Implications for Martian Carbonates. ASTROBIOLOGY 2022; 22:49-74. [PMID: 34664990 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The documentation of biosignatures in Precambrian rocks is an important requirement in the search for evidence of life on other ancient planetary surfaces. Three major kinds of biosignatures are crucially important: primary microbial sedimentary textures, diagenetic organomineral assemblages, and stable isotope compositions. This study presents new petrographic, mineralogical, and organic geochemical analyses of biosignatures in dolomitic stromatolites from the Pethei Group (N.W.T., Canada) and the Kasegalik Formation of the Belcher Group (Nunavut, Canada). Both are approximately contemporary late Paleoproterozoic stromatolite-bearing dolomitic units deposited after the Great Oxidation Event. Micro-Raman and optical microscopy are used to identify and characterize possible diagenetic biosignatures, which include close spatial association of diagenetic materials (such as ferric-ferrous oxide and anatase) with disseminated organic matter (OM), dolomitic groundmass textures, and mineralized balls. Many of these petrographic relationships point to the oxidation of OM either biotically or abiotically in association with iron reduction and chemically oscillating reactions. Oxidation of OM in these stromatolites is consistent with the widespread oxidation of biomass during the late Paleoproterozoic Shunga-Francevillian Event. Biosignatures identified in this study are also compared with possible carbonate outcrops on Mars, and thereby contribute a basis for comparison with potential biosignatures in ancient martian terrains. Similarities are drawn between the paleoenvironments of the studied units to the Isidis and Chryse planitia as locations for potential extraterrestrial dolomitic stromatolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Goodwin
- Centre for Planetary Sciences, UCL-Birkbeck, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dominic Papineau
- Centre for Planetary Sciences, UCL-Birkbeck, London, United Kingdom
- London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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11
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Jin Y, Wu S, Gao L, Jiang C, Meng F, Tang Y. Raman Thermal Maturity of Coal and Type II Kerogen Based on Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS). ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:18504-18508. [PMID: 34308080 PMCID: PMC8296574 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c02730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Low-maturity organic samples generate high levels of fluorescence during Raman detection. This fluorescence will obviously affect the Raman signals from organic matter. Our research shows that surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) can significantly enhance the ratio of the Raman signal from organic matter to the fluorescence background without changing the peak positions. This allows us to obtain more accurate Raman parameters for organic matter. In this study, we conducted Raman testing with SERS on coal and type II kerogen from the USA. We found that for both coal and type II kerogen, the exponential correlation between the thermal maturity and the distance between their D and G bands (Δ(G-D)) in the Raman spectra was good, and the R-squared values were 0.968 and 0.988, respectively. However, the Raman thermal maturity evolution curves for the coal and the type II kerogen were different. Compared with the Raman thermal maturity evolution curve of type II kerogen, that of coal was steeper. The two curves crossed each other at a Δ(G-D) value of 223, which corresponds to a calculated vitrinite reflectance value of 0.61%. This study also shows that the Raman thermal maturity evolution model of organic matter is perhaps related mainly to its type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongbin Jin
- Key
Laboratory of Ocean and Marginal Sea Geology, South China Sea Institute
of Oceanology, Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental
Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China
- Southern
Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 5111458, China
- Power,
Environmental and Energy Research Institute, Covina, California 91722, United States
| | - Sheng Wu
- Power,
Environmental and Energy Research Institute, Covina, California 91722, United States
| | - Li Gao
- Power,
Environmental and Energy Research Institute, Covina, California 91722, United States
| | - Chenyang Jiang
- Power,
Environmental and Energy Research Institute, Covina, California 91722, United States
| | - Fei Meng
- Power,
Environmental and Energy Research Institute, Covina, California 91722, United States
| | - Yongchun Tang
- Power,
Environmental and Energy Research Institute, Covina, California 91722, United States
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12
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Abstract
In order to assess a source rock for economical exploitation purposes, many parameters should be considered; regarding the geochemical aspects, the most important ones are the amount of organic matter (OM) and its quality. Quality refers to the thermal maturity level and the type of OM from which it was formed. The origin of the OM affects the ability of the deposited OM between sediments to generate oil, gas, or both with particular potential after going through thermal maturation. Vitrinite reflectance and programmed pyrolysis (for instance, Rock-Eval) are common methods for evaluating the thermal maturity of the OM and its potential to generate petroleum, but they do not provide us with answers to what extent solid bitumen is oil-prone or gas-prone, as they are bulk geochemical methods. In the present study, Raman spectroscopy (RS), as a powerful tool for studying carbonaceous materials and organic matter, was conducted on shale and coal samples and their individual macerals to show the potential of this technique in kerogen typing and to reveal the parent maceral of the examined bitumen. The proposed methodology, by exhibiting the chemical structure of different organic matters as a major secondary product in unconventional reservoirs, can also detect the behavior of solid bitumen and its hydrocarbon production potential for more accurate petroleum system evaluation.
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13
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Teece BL, George SC, Agbaje OBA, Jacquet SM, Brock GA. Mars Rover Techniques and Lower/Middle Cambrian Microbialites from South Australia: Construction, Biofacies, and Biogeochemistry. ASTROBIOLOGY 2020; 20:637-657. [PMID: 32159385 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2019.2110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The Perseverance rover (Mars 2020) is equipped with an instrumental and analytical payload capable of identifying a broad range of organic molecules in geological samples. To determine the efficacy of these analytical techniques in recognizing important ecological and environmental signals in the rock record, this study utilized analogous equipment, including gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, along with macroscopic and petrographic observations, to examine early-middle Cambrian microbialites from the Arrowie Basin, South Australia. Morphological and petrographic observations of these carbonate successions reveal evidence of hypersaline-restricted environments. Microbialites have undergone moderate diagenesis, as supported by XRF data that show mineral assemblages, including celestine and the illitization of smectite. Raman spectral data, carbon preference indices of ∼1, and the methylphenanthrene index place the samples in the prehnite/pumpellyite metamorphic facies. Pristane and phytane are the only biomarkers that were detected in the least thermally mature samples. This research demonstrates a multitechnique approach that can yield significant geological, depositional, paleobiological, and diagenetic information that has important implications for planning future astrobiological exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bronwyn L Teece
- Australian Centre for Astrobiology, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and MQ Marine Research Centre, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Simon C George
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and MQ Marine Research Centre, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Oluwatoosin Bunmi A Agbaje
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and MQ Marine Research Centre, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
- Department of Earth Sciences, Palaeobiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sarah M Jacquet
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Glenn A Brock
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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14
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Fossil Resins–Constraints from Portable and Laboratory Near-infrared Raman Spectrometers. MINERALS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/min10020104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Comparative studies of fossil resins of various ages, botanical sources, geological environments, and provenience were provided via a handheld portable Near-Infrared (NIR)-Raman spectrometer and benchtop instrument both working with laser line 1064 nm. The recorded Raman spectra of individual fossil resins were found to be sufficiently similar irrespective to the device type applied, i.e., handheld or benchtop. Thus, the portable equipment was found to be a sufficient tool for the preliminary identification of resins based on botanical and geographical origin criteria. The observed height ratio of 1640/1440 cm−1 Raman bands did not correlate well with the ages of fossil resins. Hence, it may be assumed that geological conditions such as volcanic activity and/or hydrothermal heating are plausible factors accelerating the maturation of resins and cross-linking processes.
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15
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Larina E, Bottjer DJ, Corsetti FA, Zonneveld JP, Celestian AJ, Bailey JV. Uppermost Triassic phosphorites from Williston Lake, Canada: link to fluctuating euxinic-anoxic conditions in northeastern Panthalassa before the end-Triassic mass extinction. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18790. [PMID: 31827166 PMCID: PMC6906467 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55162-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The end-Triassic mass extinction (ETE) is associated with a rise in CO2 due to eruptions of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP), and had a particularly dramatic effect on the Modern Fauna, so an understanding of the conditions that led to the ETE has relevance to current rising CO2 levels. Here, we report multiple phosphorite deposits in strata that immediately precede the ETE at Williston Lake, Canada, which allow the paleoenvironmental conditions leading up to the mass extinction to be investigated. The predominance of phosphatic coated grains within phoshorites indicates reworking in shallow water environments. Raman spectroscopy reveals that the phosphorites contain organic carbon, and petrographic and scanning electron microscopic analyses reveal that the phosphorites contain putative microfossils, potentially suggesting microbial involvement in a direct or indirect way. Thus, we favor a mechanism of phosphogenesis that involves microbial polyphosphate metabolism in which phosphatic deposits typically form at the interface of euxinic/anoxic and oxic conditions. When combined with data from deeper water deposits (Kennecott Point) far to the southwest, it would appear a very broad area of northeastern Panthalassa experienced anoxic to euxinic bottom water conditions in the direct lead up to the end-Triassic mass extinction. Such a scenario implies expansion and shallowing of the oxygen minimum zone across a very broad area of northeastern Panthalassa, which potentially created a stressful environment for benthic metazoan communities. Studies of the pre-extinction interval from different sites across the globe are required to resolve the chronology and spatial distribution of processes that governed before the major environmental collapse that caused the ETE. Results from this study demonstrate that fluctuating anoxic and euxinic conditions could have been potentially responsible for reduced ecosystem stability before the onset of CAMP volcanism, at least at the regional scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Larina
- Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
| | - David J Bottjer
- Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Frank A Corsetti
- Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | | | | | - Jake V Bailey
- Earth Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
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16
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Detection of organic compounds in impact glasses formed by the collision of an extraterrestrial material with the Libyan Desert (Africa) and Tasmania (Australia). Anal Bioanal Chem 2018; 410:6609-6617. [PMID: 30039380 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-018-1266-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Revised: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Impact glasses are rich silica melted formed at high temperature and pressure by the impact of an extraterrestrial body on Earth. Here, Libyan Desert glasses (LDGs) and Darwin glasses (DGs) were studied. Two non-destructive analytical techniques were used to detect and characterize organic compounds present in their inclusions: Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy coupled to energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Phytoliths, humboldtine, palmitic acid, myristic acid, oleic acid, 4-methyl phthalic acid, and S-H stretching vibrations of amino acids were identified. The presence of these particular organic compounds in such materials has not been reported so far, providing information about (a) the ancient matter of the area where the impact glasses were formed, (b) organic matter belonging to the extraterrestrial body which impacted on the Earth, or (c) even to current plant or bacterial life, which could indicate an active interaction of the LDG and DG with the surrounding environment. Moreover, the identification of fullerene allowed us to know a pressure (15 GPa) and temperatures (670 K or 1800-1900 K) at which samples could be subjected.
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17
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Evaluating Molecular Evolution of Kerogen by Raman Spectroscopy: Correlation with Optical Microscopy and Rock-Eval Pyrolysis. ENERGIES 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/en11061406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Vitrinite maturity and programmed pyrolysis are conventional methods to evaluate organic matter (OM) regarding its thermal maturity. Moreover, vitrinite reflectance analysis can be difficult if prepared samples have no primary vitrinite or dispersed widely. Raman spectroscopy is a nondestructive method that has been used in the last decade for maturity evaluation of organic matter by detecting structural transformations, however, it might suffer from fluorescence background in low mature samples. In this study, four samples of different maturities from both shale formations of Bakken (the upper and lower members) Formation were collected and analyzed with Rock-Eval (RE) and Raman spectroscopy. In the next step, portions of the same samples were then used for the isolation of kerogen and analyzed by Raman spectroscopy. Results showed that Raman spectroscopy, by detecting structural information of OM, could reflect thermal maturity parameters that were derived from programmed pyrolysis. Moreover, isolating kerogen will reduce the background noise (fluorescence) in the samples dramatically and yield a better spectrum. The study showed that thermal properties of OM could be precisely reflected in Raman signals.
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18
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Shkolyar S, Eshelman EJ, Farmer JD, Hamilton D, Daly MG, Youngbull C. Detecting Kerogen as a Biosignature Using Colocated UV Time-Gated Raman and Fluorescence Spectroscopy. ASTROBIOLOGY 2018; 18:431-453. [PMID: 29624103 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2017.1716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The Mars 2020 mission will analyze samples in situ and identify any that could have preserved biosignatures in ancient habitable environments for later return to Earth. Highest priority targeted samples include aqueously formed sedimentary lithologies. On Earth, such lithologies can contain fossil biosignatures as aromatic carbon (kerogen). In this study, we analyzed nonextracted kerogen in a diverse suite of natural, complex samples using colocated UV excitation (266 nm) time-gated (UV-TG) Raman and laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopies. We interrogated kerogen and its host matrix in samples to (1) explore the capabilities of UV-TG Raman and fluorescence spectroscopies for detecting kerogen in high-priority targets in the search for possible biosignatures on Mars; (2) assess the effectiveness of time gating and UV laser wavelength in reducing fluorescence in Raman spectra; and (3) identify sample-specific issues that could challenge rover-based identifications of kerogen using UV-TG Raman spectroscopy. We found that ungated UV Raman spectroscopy is suited to identify diagnostic kerogen Raman bands without interfering fluorescence and that UV fluorescence spectroscopy is suited to identify kerogen. These results highlight the value of combining colocated Raman and fluorescence spectroscopies, similar to those obtainable by SHERLOC on Mars 2020, to strengthen the confidence of kerogen detection as a potential biosignature in complex natural samples. Key Words: Raman spectroscopy-Laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy-Mars Sample Return-Mars 2020 mission-Kerogen-Biosignatures. Astrobiology 18, 431-453.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana Shkolyar
- 1 School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University , Tempe, Arizona
- 2 Current address: Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington , Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Evan J Eshelman
- 3 The Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science (CRESS), York University , Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jack D Farmer
- 1 School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University , Tempe, Arizona
| | - David Hamilton
- 3 The Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science (CRESS), York University , Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael G Daly
- 3 The Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science (CRESS), York University , Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cody Youngbull
- 4 Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana , Polson, Montana
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19
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Marshall CP, Olcott Marshall A, Aitken JB, Lai B, Vogt S, Breuer P, Steemans P, Lay PA. Imaging of Vanadium in Microfossils: A New Potential Biosignature. ASTROBIOLOGY 2017; 17:1069-1076. [PMID: 28910135 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2017.1709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The inability to unambiguously distinguish the biogenicity of microfossil-like structures in the ancient rock record is a fundamental predicament facing Archean paleobiologists and astrobiologists. Therefore, novel methods for discriminating biological from nonbiological chemistries of microfossil-like structures are of the utmost importance in the search for evidence of early life on Earth. This, too, is important for the search for life on Mars by in situ analyses via rovers or sample return missions for future analysis here on Earth. Here, we report the application of synchrotron X-ray fluorescence imaging of vanadium, within thermally altered organic-walled microfossils of bona fide biological origin. From our data, we demonstrate that vanadium is present within microfossils of undisputable biological origin. It is well known in the organic geochemistry literature that elements such as vanadium are enriched and contained within crude oils, asphalts, and black shales that have been formed by diagenesis of biological organic material. It has been demonstrated that the origin of vanadium is due to the diagenetic alteration of precursor chlorophyll and heme porphyrin pigment compounds from living organisms. We propose that, taken together, microfossil-like morphology, carbonaceous composition, and the presence of vanadium could be used in tandem as a biosignature to ascertain the biogenicity of putative microfossil-like structures. Key Words: Microfossils-Synchrotron micro-X-ray fluorescence-Vanadium-Tetrapyrrole-Biosignature. Astrobiology 17, 1069-1076.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig P Marshall
- 1 Department of Geology, University of Kansas , Lawrence, Kansas, USA
- 2 Department of Chemistry, University of Kansas , Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | | | - Jade B Aitken
- 3 School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney , Sydney, Australia
| | - Barry Lai
- 4 Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory , Argonne, Illinois, USA
| | - Stefan Vogt
- 4 Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory , Argonne, Illinois, USA
| | - Pierre Breuer
- 5 Geological Technical Services Division , Saudi Aramco, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
| | - Philippe Steemans
- 6 Palaeobotany-Palaeopalynology-Micropalaeontology, University of Liège , Liège, Belgium
| | - Peter A Lay
- 3 School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney , Sydney, Australia
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20
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Smith JP, Smith FC, Booksh KS. Spatial and spectral resolution of carbonaceous material from hematite (α-Fe2O3) using multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) with Raman microspectroscopic mapping: implications for the search for life on Mars. Analyst 2017; 142:3140-3156. [DOI: 10.1039/c7an00481h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We report a novel application of multivariate analysis with Raman microspectroscopic mapping to enhance the search for life on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph P. Smith
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
- University of Delaware
- Newark
- USA
| | - Frank C. Smith
- Department of Geological Sciences
- University of Delaware
- Newark
- USA
| | - Karl S. Booksh
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
- University of Delaware
- Newark
- USA
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21
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Domagal-Goldman SD, Wright KE, Adamala K, Arina de la Rubia L, Bond J, Dartnell LR, Goldman AD, Lynch K, Naud ME, Paulino-Lima IG, Singer K, Walther-Antonio M, Abrevaya XC, Anderson R, Arney G, Atri D, Azúa-Bustos A, Bowman JS, Brazelton WJ, Brennecka GA, Carns R, Chopra A, Colangelo-Lillis J, Crockett CJ, DeMarines J, Frank EA, Frantz C, de la Fuente E, Galante D, Glass J, Gleeson D, Glein CR, Goldblatt C, Horak R, Horodyskyj L, Kaçar B, Kereszturi A, Knowles E, Mayeur P, McGlynn S, Miguel Y, Montgomery M, Neish C, Noack L, Rugheimer S, Stüeken EE, Tamez-Hidalgo P, Imari Walker S, Wong T. The Astrobiology Primer v2.0. ASTROBIOLOGY 2016; 16:561-653. [PMID: 27532777 PMCID: PMC5008114 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2015.1460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Shawn D Domagal-Goldman
- 1 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
- 2 Virtual Planetary Laboratory , Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Katherine E Wright
- 3 University of Colorado at Boulder , Colorado, USA
- 4 Present address: UK Space Agency, UK
| | - Katarzyna Adamala
- 5 Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota , Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - Jade Bond
- 7 Department of Physics, University of New South Wales , Sydney, Australia
| | | | | | - Kennda Lynch
- 10 Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana , Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Marie-Eve Naud
- 11 Institute for research on exoplanets (iREx) , Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Ivan G Paulino-Lima
- 12 Universities Space Research Association , Mountain View, California, USA
- 13 Blue Marble Space Institute of Science , Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Kelsi Singer
- 14 Southwest Research Institute , Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | | | - Ximena C Abrevaya
- 16 Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio (IAFE) , UBA-CONICET, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Rika Anderson
- 17 Department of Biology, Carleton College , Northfield, Minnesota, USA
| | - Giada Arney
- 18 University of Washington Astronomy Department and Astrobiology Program , Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Dimitra Atri
- 13 Blue Marble Space Institute of Science , Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Jeff S Bowman
- 19 Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University , Palisades, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Regina Carns
- 22 Polar Science Center, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Aditya Chopra
- 23 Planetary Science Institute, Research School of Earth Sciences, Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Australian National University , Canberra, Australia
| | - Jesse Colangelo-Lillis
- 24 Earth and Planetary Science, McGill University , and the McGill Space Institute, Montréal, Canada
| | | | - Julia DeMarines
- 13 Blue Marble Space Institute of Science , Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Carie Frantz
- 27 Department of Geosciences, Weber State University , Ogden, Utah, USA
| | - Eduardo de la Fuente
- 28 IAM-Departamento de Fisica, CUCEI , Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, México
| | - Douglas Galante
- 29 Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory , Campinas, Brazil
| | - Jennifer Glass
- 30 School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta, Georgia , USA
| | | | | | - Colin Goldblatt
- 33 School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria , Victoria, Canada
| | - Rachel Horak
- 34 American Society for Microbiology , Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Betül Kaçar
- 36 Harvard University , Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Akos Kereszturi
- 37 Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences , Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Emily Knowles
- 38 Johnson & Wales University , Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Paul Mayeur
- 39 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , Troy, New York, USA
| | - Shawn McGlynn
- 40 Earth Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology , Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yamila Miguel
- 41 Laboratoire Lagrange, UMR 7293, Université Nice Sophia Antipolis , CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | | | - Catherine Neish
- 43 Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Western Ontario , London, Canada
| | - Lena Noack
- 44 Royal Observatory of Belgium , Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sarah Rugheimer
- 45 Department of Astronomy, Harvard University , Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- 46 University of St. Andrews , St. Andrews, UK
| | - Eva E Stüeken
- 47 University of Washington , Seattle, Washington, USA
- 48 University of California , Riverside, California, USA
| | | | - Sara Imari Walker
- 13 Blue Marble Space Institute of Science , Seattle, Washington, USA
- 50 School of Earth and Space Exploration and Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science, Arizona State University , Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Teresa Wong
- 51 Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis , St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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22
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Bower D, Steele A, Fries M, Green O, Lindsay J. Raman Imaging Spectroscopy of a Putative Microfossil from the ∼3.46 Ga Apex Chert: Insights from Quartz Grain Orientation. ASTROBIOLOGY 2016; 16:169-80. [PMID: 26848838 PMCID: PMC4770934 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2014.1207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The utility of nondestructive laser Raman for testing the biogenicity of microfossil-like structures in ancient rocks is promising, yet results from deposits like the ∼3.46 Ga Apex chert remain contentious. The essence of the debate is that associated microstructures, which are not purported to be microfossils, also contain reduced carbon that displays Raman D- and G-band peaks similar to those seen in the purported microfossils. This has led to the hypothesis that all features including reported microfossils are due to compression of nonfossil carbon during crystal growth around quartz spherulites or more angular crystals. In this scenario, the precursor to this macromolecular carbon may or may not have been of biogenic origin, while the arcuate and linear features described would be pseudofossils. To test this hypothesis, we have undertaken 2-D micro-Raman imaging of the Eoleptonema apex holotype and associated features using instrumentation with a high spatial and spectral resolution. In addition to this, we utilized the ratio of two Raman active quartz mode intensities (I129/I461) to assess quartz grain orientation and grain-splitting artifacts. These data lead us to conclude that the holotype of Eoleptonema apex is a sheet-shaped pseudofossil that appears to be a carbon infilled intragranular crack; therefore other holotypes should be carefully reexamined for syngenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- D.M. Bower
- Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC, USA
| | - A. Steele
- Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC, USA
| | - M.D. Fries
- NASA Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science, Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - O.R. Green
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - J.F. Lindsay
- Lunar and Planetary Science Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
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23
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Tomescu AMF, Klymiuk AA, Matsunaga KKS, Bippus AC, Shelton GWK. Microbes and the Fossil Record: Selected Topics in Paleomicrobiology. THEIR WORLD: A DIVERSITY OF MICROBIAL ENVIRONMENTS 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-28071-4_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Zhou X, Chen D, Tang D, Dong S, Guo C, Guo Z, Zhang Y. Biogenic Iron-Rich Filaments in the Quartz Veins in the Uppermost Ediacaran Qigebulake Formation, Aksu Area, Northwestern Tarim Basin, China: Implications for Iron Oxidizers in Subseafloor Hydrothermal Systems. ASTROBIOLOGY 2015; 15:523-537. [PMID: 26168395 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2014.1234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Fe-(oxyhydr)oxide-encrusted filamentous microstructures produced by microorganisms have been widely reported in various modern and ancient extreme environments; however, the iron-dependent microorganisms preserved in hydrothermal quartz veins have not been explored in detail because of limited materials available. In this study, abundant well-preserved filamentous microstructures were observed in the hydrothermal quartz veins of the uppermost dolostones of the terminal-Ediacaran Qigebulake Formation in the Aksu area, northwestern Tarim Basin, China. These filamentous microstructures were permineralized by goethite and hematite as revealed by Raman spectroscopy and completely entombed in chalcedony and quartz cements. Microscopically, they are characterized by biogenic filamentous morphologies (commonly 20-200 μm in length and 1-5 μm in diameter) and structures (curved, tubular sheath-like, segmented, and mat-like filaments), similar to the Fe-oxidizing bacteria (FeOB) living in modern and ancient hydrothermal vent fields. A previous study revealed that quartz-barite vein swarms were subseafloor channels of low-temperature, silica-rich, diffusive hydrothermal vents in the earliest Cambrian, which contributed silica to the deposition of the overlying bedded chert of the Yurtus Formation. In this context, this study suggests that the putative filamentous FeOB preserved in the quartz veins might have thrived in the low-temperature, silica- and Fe(II)-rich hydrothermal vent channels in subseafloor mixing zones and were rapidly fossilized by subsequent higher-temperature, silica-rich hydrothermal fluids in response to waning and waxing fluctuations of diffuse hydrothermal venting. In view of the occurrence in a relatively stable passive continental margin shelf environment in Tarim Block, the silica-rich submarine hydrothermal vent system may represent a new and important geological niche favorable for FeOB colonization, which is different from their traditional habitats reported in hydrothermal vent systems at oceanic spreading centers or volcanic seamounts. Thus, these newly recognized microfossils offer a new clue to explore the biological signatures and habitat diversity of microorganisms on Earth and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiqiang Zhou
- 1 Key Lab of Petroleum Resources Research, Institute of Geology and Geophysics , Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- 2 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing, China
| | - Daizhao Chen
- 1 Key Lab of Petroleum Resources Research, Institute of Geology and Geophysics , Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dongjie Tang
- 3 School of Geosciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences , Beijing, China
| | - Shaofeng Dong
- 1 Key Lab of Petroleum Resources Research, Institute of Geology and Geophysics , Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chuan Guo
- 1 Key Lab of Petroleum Resources Research, Institute of Geology and Geophysics , Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- 2 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing, China
| | - Zenghui Guo
- 1 Key Lab of Petroleum Resources Research, Institute of Geology and Geophysics , Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- 2 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing, China
| | - Yanqiu Zhang
- 1 Key Lab of Petroleum Resources Research, Institute of Geology and Geophysics , Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Harris LV, Hutchinson IB, Ingley R, Marshall CP, Olcott Marshall A, Edwards HG. Selection of Portable Spectrometers for Planetary Exploration: A Comparison of 532 nm and 785 nm Raman Spectroscopy of Reduced Carbon in Archean Cherts. ASTROBIOLOGY 2015; 15:420-9. [PMID: 26060980 PMCID: PMC4490632 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2014.1220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Knowledge and understanding of the martian environment has advanced greatly over the past two decades, beginning with NASA's return to the surface of Mars with the Pathfinder mission and its rover Sojourner in 1997 and continuing today with data being returned by the Curiosity rover. Reduced carbon, however, is yet to be detected on the martian surface, despite its abundance in meteorites originating from the planet. If carbon is detected on Mars, it could be a remnant of extinct life, although an abiotic source is much more likely. If the latter is the case, environmental carbonaceous material would still provide a source of carbon that could be utilized by microbial life for biochemical synthesis and could therefore act as a marker for potential habitats, indicating regions that should be investigated further. For this reason, the detection and characterization of reduced or organic carbon is a top priority for both the ESA/Roscosmos ExoMars rover, currently due for launch in 2018, and for NASA's Mars 2020 mission. Here, we present a Raman spectroscopic study of Archean chert Mars analog samples from the Pilbara Craton, Western Australia. Raman spectra were acquired with a flight-representative 532 nm instrument and a 785 nm instrument with similar operating parameters. Reduced carbon was successfully detected with both instruments; however, its Raman bands were detected more readily with 785 nm excitation, and the corresponding spectra exhibited superior signal-to-noise ratios and reduced background levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam V. Harris
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Ian B. Hutchinson
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Richard Ingley
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
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Malherbe C, Ingley R, Hutchinson I, Edwards H, Carr AS, Harris L, Boom A. Biogeological Analysis of Desert Varnish Using Portable Raman Spectrometers. ASTROBIOLOGY 2015; 15:442-452. [PMID: 26060982 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2014.1265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Desert varnishes are thin, dark mineral coatings found on some rocks in arid or semi-arid environments on Earth. Microorganisms may play an active role in their formation, which takes many hundreds of years. Their mineral matrix may facilitate the preservation of organic matter and is therefore of great relevance to martian exploration. Miniaturized Raman spectrometers (which allow nondestructive analysis of the molecular composition of a specimen) will equip rovers in forthcoming planetary exploration missions. In that context, and for the first time, portable Raman spectrometers operating in the green visible (532 nm as currently baselined for flight) and in the near-infrared (785 nm) were used in this study to investigate the composition (and substrate) of several samples of desert varnish. Rock samples that were suspected (and later confirmed) to be coated with desert varnish were recovered from two sites in the Mojave Desert, USA. The portable spectrometers were operated in flight-representative acquisition modes to identify the key molecular components of the varnish. The results demonstrate that the coatings typically comprise silicate minerals such as quartz, plagioclase feldspars, clays, ferric oxides, and hydroxides and that successful characterization of the samples can be achieved by using flightlike portable spectrometers for both the 532 and 785 nm excitation sources. In the context of searching for spectral signatures and identifying molecules that indicate the presence of extant and/or extinct life, we also report the detection of β-carotene in some of the samples. Analysis complications caused by the presence of rare earth element photoluminescence (which overlaps with and overwhelms the organic Raman signal when a 785 nm laser is employed) are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedric Malherbe
- 1 Laboratory of Inorganic Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Liège , Liège, Belgium
- 2 Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester , Leicester, UK
| | - Richard Ingley
- 2 Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester , Leicester, UK
| | - Ian Hutchinson
- 2 Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester , Leicester, UK
| | - Howell Edwards
- 2 Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester , Leicester, UK
| | - Andrew S Carr
- 3 Department of Geography, University of Leicester , Leicester, UK
| | - Liam Harris
- 2 Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester , Leicester, UK
| | - Arnoud Boom
- 3 Department of Geography, University of Leicester , Leicester, UK
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Vítek P, Jehlička J, Edwards HGM, Hutchinson I, Ascaso C, Wierzchos J. Miniaturized Raman instrumentation detects carotenoids in Mars-analogue rocks from the Mojave and Atacama deserts. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2014; 372:rsta.2014.0196. [PMID: 25368344 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2014.0196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
This study is primarily focused on proving the potential of miniaturized Raman systems to detect any biomolecular and mineral signal in natural geobiological samples that are relevant for future application of the technique within astrobiologically aimed missions on Mars. A series of evaporites of varying composition and origin from two extremely dry deserts were studied, namely Atacama and Mojave. The samples represent both dry evaporitic deposits and recent evaporitic efflorescences from hypersaline brines. The samples comprise halite and different types of sulfates and carbonates. The samples were analysed in two different ways: (i) directly as untreated rocks and (ii) as homogenized powders. Two excitation wavelengths of miniaturized Raman spectrometers were compared: 532 and 785 nm. The potential to detect carotenoids as biomarkers on Mars compared with the potential detection of carbonaceous matter using miniaturized instrumentation is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Vítek
- Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Mineral Resources, Charles University in Prague, Albertov 6, 128 43 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - J Jehlička
- Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Mineral Resources, Charles University in Prague, Albertov 6, 128 43 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - H G M Edwards
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Space Sciences Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - I Hutchinson
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Space Sciences Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - C Ascaso
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, c/ Serrano 115 dpdo., 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - J Wierzchos
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, c/ Serrano 115 dpdo., 28006 Madrid, Spain
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28
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Hutchinson IB, Ingley R, Edwards HGM, Harris L, McHugh M, Malherbe C, Parnell J. Raman spectroscopy on Mars: identification of geological and bio-geological signatures in Martian analogues using miniaturized Raman spectrometers. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2014; 372:rsta.2014.0204. [PMID: 25368350 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2014.0204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The first Raman spectrometers to be used for in situ analysis of planetary material will be launched as part of powerful, rover-based analytical laboratories within the next 6 years. There are a number of significant challenges associated with building spectrometers for space applications, including limited volume, power and mass budgets, the need to operate in harsh environments and the need to operate independently and intelligently for long periods of time (due to communication limitations). Here, we give an overview of the technical capabilities of the Raman instruments planned for future planetary missions and give a review of the preparatory work being pursued to ensure that such instruments are operated successfully and optimally. This includes analysis of extremophile samples containing pigments associated with biological processes, synthetic materials which incorporate biological material within a mineral matrix, planetary analogues containing low levels of reduced carbon and samples coated with desert varnish that incorporate both geo-markers and biomarkers. We discuss the scientific importance of each sample type and the challenges using portable/flight-prototype instrumentation. We also report on technical development work undertaken to enable the next generation of Raman instruments to reach higher levels of sensitivity and operational efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian B Hutchinson
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Space Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Richard Ingley
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Space Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Howell G M Edwards
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Space Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Liam Harris
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Space Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Melissa McHugh
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Space Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Cedric Malherbe
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Space Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK Department of Inorganic Analytical Chemistry, Chemistry Institute (B6c), University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - J Parnell
- Department of Geology & Petroleum Geology, University of Aberdeen, King's College, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, UK
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29
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Edwards HGM, Hutchinson IB, Ingley R, Jehlička J. Biomarkers and their Raman spectroscopic signatures: a spectral challenge for analytical astrobiology. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2014; 372:rsta.2014.0193. [PMID: 25368349 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2014.0193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The remote robotic exploration of extraterrestrial scenarios for evidence of biological colonization in 'search for life' missions using Raman spectroscopy is critically dependent on two major factors: firstly, the Raman spectral recognition of characteristic biochemical spectral signatures in the presence of mineral matrix features; and secondly, the positive unambiguous identification of molecular biomaterials which are indicative of extinct or extant life. Both of these factors are considered here: the most important criterion is the clear definition of which biochemicals truly represent biomarkers, whose presence in the planetary geological record from an analytical astrobiological standpoint will unambiguously be indicative of life as recognized from its remote instrumental interrogation. Also discussed in this paper are chemical compounds which are associated with living systems, including biominerals, which may not in themselves be definitive signatures of life processes and origins but whose presence provides an indicator of potential life-bearing matrices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howell G M Edwards
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Centre for Astrobiology and Extremophiles Research, Space Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Ian B Hutchinson
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Centre for Astrobiology and Extremophiles Research, Space Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Richard Ingley
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Centre for Astrobiology and Extremophiles Research, Space Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Jan Jehlička
- Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Mineral Resources, Charles University in Prague, Albertov 6, 12843 Prague, Czech Republic
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Marshall CP, Marshall AO. Raman spectroscopy as a screening tool for ancient life detection on Mars. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2014; 372:rsta.2014.0195. [PMID: 25368343 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2014.0195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The search for sp(2)-bonded carbonaceous material is one of the major life detection strategies of the astrobiological exploration programmes of National Aeronautics and Space Administration and European Space Agency (ESA). The ESA ExoMars rover scheduled for launch in 2018 will include a Raman spectrometer with the goal of detecting sp(2)-bonded carbonaceous material as potential evidence of ancient life. However, sp(2)-bonded carbonaceous material will yield the same Raman spectra of well-developed G and D bands whether they are synthesized biologically or non-biologically. Therefore, the origin and source of sp(2)-bonded carbonaceous material cannot be elucidated by Raman spectroscopy alone. Here, we report the combined approach of Raman spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry biomarker analysis to Precambrian sedimentary rocks, which taken together, provides a promising new methodology for readily detecting and rapidly screening samples for immature organic material amenable to successful biomarker analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig P Marshall
- Department of Geology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045-7613, USA
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31
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Gourier D, Delpoux O, Binet L, Vezin H. Nuclear magnetic biosignatures in the carbonaceous matter of ancient cherts: comparison with carbonaceous meteorites. ASTROBIOLOGY 2013; 13:932-947. [PMID: 24093546 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2013.0971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The search for organic biosignatures is motivated by the hope of understanding the conditions of emergence of life on Earth and the perspective of finding traces of extinct life in martian sediments. Paramagnetic radicals, which exist naturally in amorphous carbonaceous matter fossilized in Precambrian cherts, were used as local structural probes and studied by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The nuclear magnetic resonance transitions of elements inside and around these radicals were detected by monitoring the nuclear modulations of electron spin echo in pulsed EPR. We found that the carbonaceous matter of fossilized microorganisms with age up to 3.5 billion years gives specific nuclear magnetic signatures of hydrogen (¹H), carbon (¹³C), and phosphorus (³¹P) nuclei. We observed that these potential biosignatures of extinct life are found neither in the carbonaceous matter of carbonaceous meteorites (4.56 billion years), the most ancient objects of the Solar System, nor in any carbonaceous matter resulting from carbonization of organic and bioorganic precursors. These results indicate that these nuclear signatures are sensitive to thermal episodes and can be used for Archean cherts with metamorphism not higher than the greenschist facies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Didier Gourier
- 1 TGE Réseau National de RPE interdisciplinaire (RENARD, FR-CNRS 3443)
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32
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Marshall CP, Olcott Marshall A. Raman hyperspectral imaging of microfossils: potential pitfalls. ASTROBIOLOGY 2013; 13:920-31. [PMID: 24088070 PMCID: PMC3807534 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2013.1034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2013] [Accepted: 08/23/2013] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Initially, Raman spectroscopy was a specialized technique used by vibrational spectroscopists; however, due to rapid advancements in instrumentation and imaging techniques over the last few decades, Raman spectrometers are widely available at many institutions, allowing Raman spectroscopy to become a widespread analytical tool in mineralogy and other geological sciences. Hyperspectral imaging, in particular, has become popular due to the fact that Raman spectroscopy can quickly delineate crystallographic and compositional differences in 2-D and 3-D at the micron scale. Although this rapid growth of applications to the Earth sciences has provided great insight across the geological sciences, the ease of application as the instruments become increasingly automated combined with nonspecialists using this techique has resulted in the propagation of errors and misunderstandings throughout the field. For example, the literature now includes misassigned vibration modes, inappropriate spectral processing techniques, confocal depth of laser penetration incorrectly estimated into opaque crystalline solids, and a misconstrued understanding of the anisotropic nature of sp² carbons.
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Olcott Marshall A, Marshall CP. Field-based Raman spectroscopic analyses of an Ordovician stromatolite. ASTROBIOLOGY 2013; 13:814-20. [PMID: 24015783 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2013.1026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Raman spectrometers are being miniaturized for future life-detection missions on Mars. Field-portable Raman spectrometers, which have similar spectral parameters to the instruments being developed for Mars rovers, have been used to examine extant biosignatures, but they have not yet been used to examine ancient biosignatures. Here, a portable Raman spectrometer was used to analyze an Ordovician stromatolite at the outcrop, revealing both its mineralogy and the presence of sp² carbonaceous material. As stromatolites are often used as proof of the presence of life in Archean rocks and are searched for on Mars, the ability to analyze them in the field with no sample preparation has important ramifications for future Mars missions. However, these results also reveal that a 785 nm excitation source, rather than the 532 nm excitation source planned for future missions, might be a better choice in the search for fossil biosignatures.
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Sparkes R, Hovius N, Galy A, Kumar RV, Liu JT. Automated analysis of carbon in powdered geological and environmental samples by Raman spectroscopy. APPLIED SPECTROSCOPY 2013; 67:779-788. [PMID: 23816131 DOI: 10.1366/12-06826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Raman spectroscopy can be used to assess the structure of naturally occurring carbonaceous materials (CM), which exist in a wide range of crystal structures. The sources of these geological and environmental materials include rocks, soils, river sediments, and marine sediment cores, all of which can contain carbonaceous material ranging from highly crystalline graphite to amorphous-like organic compounds. In order to fully characterize a geological sample and its intrinsic heterogeneity, several spectra must be collected and analyzed in a precise and repeatable manner. Here, we describe a suitable processing and analysis technique. We show that short-period ball-mill grinding does not introduce structural changes to semi-graphitized material and allows for easy collection of Raman spectra from the resulting powder. Two automated peak-fitting procedures are defined that allow for rapid processing of large datasets. For very disordered CM, Lorentzian profiles are fitted to five characteristic peaks, for highly graphitized material, three Voigt profiles are fitted. Peak area ratios and peak width measurements are used to classify each spectrum and allow easy comparison between samples. By applying this technique to samples collected in Taiwan after Typhoon Morakot, sources of carbon to offshore sediments have been identified. Carbon eroded from different areas of Taiwan can be seen mixed and deposited in the offshore flood sediments, and both graphite and amorphous-like carbon have been recycled from terrestrial to marine deposits. The practicality of this application illustrates the potential for this technique to be deployed to sediment-sourcing problems in a wide range of geological settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Sparkes
- Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK.
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35
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Raman spectroscopic documentation of Oligocene bladder stone. Naturwissenschaften 2013; 100:789-94. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-013-1078-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2013] [Revised: 06/14/2013] [Accepted: 06/20/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Microorganism response to stressed terrestrial environments: a Raman spectroscopic perspective of extremophilic life strategies. Life (Basel) 2013; 3:276-94. [PMID: 25371344 PMCID: PMC4187200 DOI: 10.3390/life3010276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2012] [Revised: 01/30/2013] [Accepted: 02/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Raman spectroscopy is a valuable analytical technique for the identification of biomolecules and minerals in natural samples, which involves little or minimal sample manipulation. In this paper, we evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of this technique applied to the study of extremophiles. Furthermore, we provide a review of the results published, up to the present point in time, of the bio- and geo-strategies adopted by different types of extremophile colonies of microorganisms. We also show the characteristic Raman signatures for the identification of pigments and minerals, which appear in those complex samples.
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38
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Foucher F, Westall F. Raman imaging of metastable opal in carbonaceous microfossils of the 700-800 ma old Draken Formation. ASTROBIOLOGY 2013; 13:57-67. [PMID: 23276206 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2012.0889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Opaline silica was detected, with Raman spectroscopy, in carbonaceous microfossils (especially Myxococcoides) in silicified filamentous microbial mats within dolomitized conglomerates of the Draken Formation (-800 to -700 Ma). High-resolution electron microscopy (HRTEM) and microprobe analyses were used to confirm the nature of this phase in the quartz matrix of the microbial mats. The silica likely precipitated in a microcrystalline form onto the organic macromolecules around, and within, the degrading microorganisms and preserved them by inhibiting the natural phase change to quartz. The Raman signal of opaline silica associated with carbonaceous matter and other biosignatures could be a potential indicator of biogenicity. This kind of association could be very useful during the future ExoMars mission (ESA/Roscosmos, 2018) that will search for traces of past life on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Foucher
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, UPR CNRS 4301, Orléans, France.
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Bower DM, Steele A, Fries MD, Kater L. Micro Raman spectroscopy of carbonaceous material in microfossils and meteorites: improving a method for life detection. ASTROBIOLOGY 2013; 13:103-113. [PMID: 23268624 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2012.0865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The identification of biosignatures in Earth's ancient rock record and detection of extraplanetary life is one of the primary goals in astrobiology. Intrinsic to this goal is the improvement of analytical techniques and protocols used to identify an unambiguous signal of life. Micro Raman spectroscopy is a nondestructive method that allows for in situ identification of a wide range of minerals and compounds. The use of D (∼1350 cm(-1)) and G (∼1580 cm(-1)) band parameters to infer the biogenicity of carbonaceous materials in fossils has become a commonly used analytical tool, but carbonaceous compounds from different sources often share the same spectroscopic characteristics. Microfossil studies do not always take into consideration a nonbiological source for the carbon in their samples and therefore still rely on morphology as the primary mode of identification. Comprehensive studies that consider all carbon sources are typically done on metasediments, coals, or meteorites, and the results are not clearly applicable to microfossil identification. In this study, microfossils from a suite of sedimentary rock samples of various ages were analyzed with micro Raman spectroscopy to investigate the nature and provenance of carbonaceous material. To further constrain D- and G-band carbon characteristics, micro Raman analyses were also performed on well-characterized meteorite samples as abiological controls. The results appear to show a correlation of precursor carbonaceous material with D-band parameters and thermal history with G-band parameters. This systematic study lays the groundwork for improving the use of the G- and D-band trends as useful indicators of the origin of carbon in microfossils. Before unambiguous biosignatures can be established, further work characterizing the carbonaceous material in microfossils of different ages, thermal histories, and host rock compositions is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- D M Bower
- Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC 20015, USA.
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Schiffbauer JD, Wallace AF, Hunter JL, Kowalewski M, Bodnar RJ, Xiao S. Thermally-induced structural and chemical alteration of organic-walled microfossils: an experimental approach to understanding fossil preservation in metasediments. GEOBIOLOGY 2012; 10:402-423. [PMID: 22607551 DOI: 10.1111/j.1472-4669.2012.00332.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The identification and confirmation of bona fide Archean-Paleoproterozoic microfossils can prove to be a challenging task, further compounded by diagenetic and metamorphic histories. While structures of likely biological origin are not uncommon in Precambrian rocks, the search for early fossil life has been disproportionately focused on lesser thermally altered rocks, typically greenschist or lower-grade metamorphism. Recently, however, an increasing number of inferred micro- and macrofossils have been reported from higher-grade metasediments, prompting us to experimentally test and quantify the preservability of organic-walled microfossils over varying durations of controlled heating and under two differing redox conditions. Because of their relatively low-intensity natural thermal alteration, acritarchs from the Mesoproterozoic Ruyang Group were chosen as subjects for experimental heating at approximately 500°C, with durations ranging from 1 to 250 days and in both oxic (normal present day conditions) and anoxic conditions. Upon extraction, the opacity, reflectivity, color, microchemistry, and microstructures of the heated acritarchs were characterized using optic microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results differ for acritarchs prepared under oxic vs. anoxic conditions, with the anoxic replicates surviving experimental heating longer and retaining biological morphologies better, despite an increasing degree of carbonization with continuous heating. Conversely, the oxic replicates show aggressive degradation. In conjunction with fossils from high-grade metasediments, our data illustrate the preservational potential of organic-walled microfossils subjected to metamorphism in reducing conditions, offer insights into the search for microfossils in metasediments, and help to elucidate the influence of time on the carbonization/graphitization processes during thermal alteration.
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Affiliation(s)
- J D Schiffbauer
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
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Dartnell LR, Page K, Jorge-Villar SE, Wright G, Munshi T, Scowen IJ, Ward JM, Edwards HGM. Destruction of Raman biosignatures by ionising radiation and the implications for life detection on Mars. Anal Bioanal Chem 2012; 403:131-44. [DOI: 10.1007/s00216-012-5829-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2011] [Revised: 02/01/2012] [Accepted: 02/01/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Jehlička J, Vandenabeele P, Edwards HGM. Discrimination of zeolites and beryllium containing silicates using portable Raman spectroscometric equipment with near-infrared excitation. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2012; 86:341-346. [PMID: 22099060 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2011.10.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2011] [Revised: 10/19/2011] [Accepted: 10/20/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
In this paper Raman spectra were obtained for a series of zeolites (thomsonite, stilbite, natrolite) and beryllium containing silicates (beryl, chrysoberyl, euclase, phenacite, bavenite, milarite) using a portable Raman specrometer with a 785 nm laser excitation to show the possibility to apply this setting for unambiguous detection and discrimination of these silicate minerals. Obtained spectra contain the most intense Raman bands at the same positions ±2-4 cm(-1) as reported in the literature. The use of these bands permits the unambiguous identification of these phases. Data show the possibility to discriminate individual species of similar whitish color and aspect. Measurements showed an excellent correspondence of Raman bands obtained using the portable system and a laboratory Raman microspectrometer (with the same excitation laser wavelenght). However, for several minerals of these groups (chrysoberyl, bertrandite, chiavennite) Raman spectra were not of sufficient quality to permit unambiguous identification. The reasons are discussed. Raman spectrum of chiavennite CaMnBe(2)Si(5)O(13)(OH)(2)·2(H(2)O) - a transformation product occurring together with bavenite on the surface of beryl crystals was obtained for the first time using the laboratory Raman spectrometer.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Jehlička
- Charles University in Prague, Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Mineral Resources, Prague, Czech Republic.
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Marshall AO, Emry JR, Marshall CP. Multiple generations of carbon in the apex chert and implications for preservation of microfossils. ASTROBIOLOGY 2012; 12:160-6. [PMID: 22313376 PMCID: PMC3277919 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2011.0729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2011] [Accepted: 11/20/2011] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
While the Apex chert is one of the most well-studied Archean deposits on Earth, its formation history is still not fully understood. Here, we present Raman spectroscopic data collected on the carbonaceous material (CM) present within the matrix of the Apex chert. These data, collected within a paragenetic framework, reveal two different phases of CM deposited within separate phases of quartz matrix. These multiple generations of CM illustrate the difficulty of searching for signs of life in these rocks and, by extension, in other Archean sequences.
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Marshall CP, Marshall AO. Hematite and carbonaceous materials in geological samples: a cautionary tale. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2011; 80:133-137. [PMID: 21511518 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2011.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2010] [Revised: 02/01/2011] [Accepted: 03/02/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Over the last few decades Raman spectroscopy has been increasingly applied as an analytical tool in geoscience research. Raman spectroscopy is a powerful tool for geologists as it is non-destructive, requires little to no sample preparation, and can be undertaken in situ on various irreplaceable geological samples. Also, this technique is useful in the identification of minerals and geo-organic material. However, despite this ease of application, there are some facets of Raman spectroscopy data that can lead to erroneous interpretations. For instance, there is much confusion in the geological literature distinguishing the difference between the hematite vibrational mode at ca. 1320 cm(-1) and the disordered sp(2) carbonaceous material D band at 1340 cm(-1). Furthermore, geologists will often collect 2 spectra, one in the mineral finger print region (200-800 cm(-1)) and then a spectrum in the carbon first-order region (1000-1800 cm(-1)), rather than performing a full-region scan. This allows the misidentification of the hematite mode at 1320 cm(-1) as the D band from disordered carbonaceous material. Here we show that it is best practice for geologists to collect spectra between 200 and 1800 cm(-1) to better distinguish between hematite and disordered carbonaceous material, materials that often co-occur in geological samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig P Marshall
- Department of Geology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA.
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Cockell CS, Kelly LC, Summers S, Marteinsson V. Following the kinetics: iron-oxidizing microbial mats in cold icelandic volcanic habitats and their rock-associated carbonaceous signature. ASTROBIOLOGY 2011; 11:679-694. [PMID: 21895443 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2011.0606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Icelandic streams with mean annual temperatures of less than 5 °C, which receive the cationic products of basaltic rock weathering, were found to host mats of iron-cycling microorganisms. We investigated two representative sites. Iron-oxidizing Gallionella and iron-reducing Geobacter species were present. The mats host a high bacterial diversity as determined by culture-independent methods. β-Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, α-Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were abundant microbial taxa. The mat contained a high number of phototroph sequences. The carbon compounds in the mat displayed broad G and D bands with Raman spectroscopy. This signature becomes incorporated into the weathered oxidized surface layer of the basaltic rocks and was observed on rocks that no longer host mats. The presence of iron-oxidizing taxa in the stream microbial mats, and the lack of them in previously studied volcanic rocks in Iceland that have intermittently been exposed to surface water flows, can be explained by the kinetic limitations to the extraction of reduced iron from rocks. This type of ecosystem illustrates key factors that control the distribution of chemolithotrophs in cold volcanic environments. The data show that one promising sample type for which the hypothesis of the existence of past life on Mars can be tested is the surface of volcanic rocks that, previously, were situated within channels carved by flowing water. Our results also show that the carbonaceous signatures of life, if life had occurred, could be found in or on these rocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles S Cockell
- Centre for Earth, Planetary, Space and Astronomical Research, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK.
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Cavalazzi B, Westall F, Cady SL, Barbieri R, Foucher F. Potential fossil endoliths in vesicular pillow basalt, Coral Patch Seamount, eastern North Atlantic Ocean. ASTROBIOLOGY 2011; 11:619-32. [PMID: 21875356 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2011.0657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The chilled rinds of pillow basalt from the Ampère-Coral Patch Seamounts in the eastern North Atlantic were studied as a potential habitat of microbial life. A variety of putative biogenic structures, which include filamentous and spherical microfossil-like structures, were detected in K-phillipsite-filled amygdules within the chilled rinds. The filamentous structures (∼2.5 μm in diameter) occur as K-phillipsite tubules surrounded by an Fe-oxyhydroxide (lepidocrocite) rich membranous structure, whereas the spherical structures (from 4 to 2 μm in diameter) are associated with Ti oxide (anatase) and carbonaceous matter. Several lines of evidence indicate that the microfossil-like structures in the pillow basalt are the fossilized remains of microorganisms. Possible biosignatures include the carbonaceous nature of the spherical structures, their size distributions and morphology, the presence and distribution of native fluorescence, mineralogical and chemical composition, and environmental context. When taken together, the suite of possible biosignatures supports the hypothesis that the fossil-like structures are of biological origin. The vesicular microhabitat of the rock matrix is likely to have hosted a cryptoendolithic microbial community. This study documents a variety of evidence for past microbial life in a hitherto poorly investigated and underestimated microenvironment, as represented by the amygdules in the chilled pillow basalt rinds. This kind of endolithic volcanic habitat would have been common on the early rocky planets in our Solar System, such as Earth and Mars. This study provides a framework for evaluating traces of past life in vesicular pillow basalts, regardless of whether they occur on early Earth or Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Cavalazzi
- Department of Geology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.
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