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Miner KR, Hollis JR, Miller CE, Uckert K, Douglas TA, Cardarelli E, Mackelprang R. Earth to Mars: A Protocol for Characterizing Permafrost in the Context of Climate Change as an Analog for Extraplanetary Exploration. ASTROBIOLOGY 2023; 23:1006-1018. [PMID: 37566539 PMCID: PMC10510695 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2022.0155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Abstract Permafrost is important from an exobiology and climate change perspective. It serves as an analog for extraplanetary exploration, and it threatens to emit globally significant amounts of greenhouse gases as it thaws due to climate change. Viable microbes survive in Earth's permafrost, slowly metabolizing and transforming organic matter through geologic time. Ancient permafrost microbial communities represent a crucial resource for gaining novel insights into survival strategies adopted by extremotolerant organisms in extraplanetary analogs. We present a proof-of-concept study on ∼22 Kya permafrost to determine the potential for coupling Raman and fluorescence biosignature detection technology from the NASA Mars Perseverance rover with microbial community characterization in frozen soils, which could be expanded to other Earth and off-Earth locations. Besides the well-known utility for biosignature detection and identification, our results indicate that spectral mapping of permafrost could be used to rapidly characterize organic carbon characteristics. Coupled with microbial community analyses, this method has the potential to enhance our understanding of carbon degradation and emissions in thawing permafrost. Further, spectroscopy can be accomplished in situ to mitigate sample transport challenges and in assessing and prioritizing frozen soils for further investigation. This method has broad-range applicability to understanding microbial communities and their associations with biosignatures and soil carbon and mineralogic characteristics relevant to climate science and astrobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley R. Miner
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | | | - Charles E. Miller
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Kyle Uckert
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | | | - Emily Cardarelli
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
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2
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Malaska MJ, Bhartia R, Manatt KS, Priscu JC, Abbey WJ, Mellerowicz B, Palmowski J, Paulsen GL, Zacny K, Eshelman EJ, D'Andrilli J. Subsurface In Situ Detection of Microbes and Diverse Organic Matter Hotspots in the Greenland Ice Sheet. ASTROBIOLOGY 2020; 20:1185-1211. [PMID: 32700965 PMCID: PMC7591382 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2241] [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: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We used a deep-ultraviolet fluorescence mapping spectrometer, coupled to a drill system, to scan from the surface to 105 m depth into the Greenland ice sheet. The scan included firn and glacial ice and demonstrated that the instrument is able to determine small (mm) and large (cm) scale regions of organic matter concentration and discriminate spectral types of organic matter at high resolution. Both a linear point cloud scanning mode and a raster mapping mode were used to detect and localize microbial and organic matter "hotspots" embedded in the ice. Our instrument revealed diverse spectral signatures. Most hotspots were <20 mm in diameter, clearly isolated from other hotspots, and distributed stochastically; there was no evidence of layering in the ice at the fine scales examined (100 μm per pixel). The spectral signatures were consistent with organic matter fluorescence from microbes, lignins, fused-ring aromatic molecules, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and biologically derived materials such as fulvic acids. In situ detection of organic matter hotspots in ice prevents loss of spatial information and signal dilution when compared with traditional bulk analysis of ice core meltwaters. Our methodology could be useful for detecting microbial and organic hotspots in terrestrial icy environments and on future missions to the Ocean Worlds of our Solar System.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Malaska
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | | | - Kenneth S. Manatt
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - John C. Priscu
- Department of Land Resources & Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - William J. Abbey
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | | | | | | | - Kris Zacny
- Honeybee Robotics, Altadena, California, USA
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Eshelman EJ, Malaska MJ, Manatt KS, Doloboff IJ, Wanger G, Willis MC, Abbey WJ, Beegle LW, Priscu JC, Bhartia R. WATSON: In Situ Organic Detection in Subsurface Ice Using Deep-UV Fluorescence Spectroscopy. ASTROBIOLOGY 2019; 19:771-784. [PMID: 30822105 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2018.1925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Terrestrial icy environments have been found to preserve organic material and contain habitable niches for microbial life. The cryosphere of other planetary bodies may therefore also serve as an accessible location to search for signs of life. The Wireline Analysis Tool for the Subsurface Observation of Northern ice sheets (WATSON) is a compact deep-UV fluorescence spectrometer for nondestructive ice borehole analysis and spatial mapping of organics and microbes, intended to address the heterogeneity and low bulk densities of organics and microbial cells in ice. WATSON can be either operated standalone or integrated into a wireline drilling system. We present an overview of the WATSON instrument and results from laboratory experiments intended to determine (i) the sensitivity of WATSON to organic material in a water ice matrix and (ii) the ability to detect organic material under various thicknesses of ice. The results of these experiments show that in bubbled ice the instrument has a depth of penetration of 10 mm and a detection limit of fewer than 300 cells. WATSON incorporates a scanning system that can map the distribution of organics and microbes over a 75 by 25 mm area. WATSON demonstrates a sensitive fluorescence mapping technique for organic and microbial detection in icy environments including terrestrial glaciers and ice sheets, and planetary surfaces including Europa, Enceladus, or the martian polar caps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan J Eshelman
- 1 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
| | - Michael J Malaska
- 1 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
| | - Kenneth S Manatt
- 1 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
| | - Ivria J Doloboff
- 1 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
| | - Greg Wanger
- 1 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
- 2 University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Madelyne C Willis
- 3 Montana State University, Department of Land Resources and Environmental Science, Bozeman, Montana
| | - William J Abbey
- 1 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
| | - Luther W Beegle
- 1 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
| | - John C Priscu
- 3 Montana State University, Department of Land Resources and Environmental Science, Bozeman, Montana
| | - Rohit Bhartia
- 1 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
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Kania R, Malongwe JK, Nachtigallová D, Krausko J, Gladich I, Roeselová M, Heger D, Klán P. Spectroscopic Properties of Benzene at the Air–Ice Interface: A Combined Experimental–Computational Approach. J Phys Chem A 2014; 118:7535-47. [DOI: 10.1021/jp501094n] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rafał Kania
- RECETOX,
Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | | | - Dana Nachtigallová
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2, 166 10 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ján Krausko
- RECETOX,
Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department
of Chemistry, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan Gladich
- International
School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Via Bonomea 265, I-34136, Trieste, Italy
| | - Martina Roeselová
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2, 166 10 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Dominik Heger
- RECETOX,
Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department
of Chemistry, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Klán
- RECETOX,
Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department
of Chemistry, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
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