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Schmitt-Kopplin P, Matzka M, Ruf A, Menez B, Chennaoui Aoudjehane H, Harir M, Lucio M, Hertzog J, Hertkorn N, Gougeon RD, Hoffmann V, Hinman NW, Ferrière L, Greshake A, Gabelica Z, Trif L, Steele A. Complex carbonaceous matter in Tissint martian meteorites give insights into the diversity of organic geochemistry on Mars. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadd6439. [PMID: 36630504 PMCID: PMC9833655 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add6439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
We report a huge organic diversity in the Tissint Mars meteorite and the sampling of several mineralogical lithologies, which revealed that the organic molecules were nonuniformly distributed in functionality and abundance. The range of organics in Tissint meteorite were abundant C3-7 aliphatic branched carboxylic acids and aldehydes, olefins, and polyaromatics with and without heteroatoms in a homologous oxidation structural continuum. Organomagnesium compounds were extremely abundant in olivine macrocrystals and in the melt veins, reflecting specific organo-synsthesis processes in close interaction with the magnesium silicates and temperature stresses, as previously observed. The diverse chemistry and abundance in complex molecules reveal heterogeneity in organic speciation within the minerals grown in the martian mantle and crust that may have evolved over geological time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Schmitt-Kopplin
- Technische Universität München, Chair of Analytical Food Chemistry, Freising-Weihenstephan 85354, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Center for Astrochemical Studies, Garching 85748, Germany
- Helmholtz München, Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Neuherberg 85764, Germany
| | - Marco Matzka
- Helmholtz München, Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Neuherberg 85764, Germany
| | - Alexander Ruf
- Technische Universität München, Chair of Analytical Food Chemistry, Freising-Weihenstephan 85354, Germany
- Excellence Cluster ORIGINS, Boltzmannstraße 2, Garching 85748, Germany
- Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Butenandtstr. 5-13, Munich 81377, Germany
| | - Benedicte Menez
- Université de Paris, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, CNRS - 1, rue Jussieu, Paris Cedex 05 75238, France
| | - Hasnaa Chennaoui Aoudjehane
- Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock, GAIA Laboratory, Hassan II University of Casablanca, km 8 Route d’El Jadida, Casablanca 20150, Morocco
| | - Mourad Harir
- Helmholtz München, Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Neuherberg 85764, Germany
| | - Marianna Lucio
- Helmholtz München, Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Neuherberg 85764, Germany
| | - Jasmine Hertzog
- Technische Universität München, Chair of Analytical Food Chemistry, Freising-Weihenstephan 85354, Germany
- Helmholtz München, Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Neuherberg 85764, Germany
| | - Norbert Hertkorn
- Helmholtz München, Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Neuherberg 85764, Germany
| | - Régis D. Gougeon
- UMR Procédés Alimentaires et Microbiologiques, Université de Bourgogne/AgroSupDijon, Institut Universitaire de la Vigne et du Vin Jules Guyot, Dijon 21000, France
| | - Victor Hoffmann
- Faculty of Geosciences, Dep. Geo- and Environmental Sciences, LMU, Muenchen, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Zelimir Gabelica
- Université de Haute Alsace, École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Mulhouse, F-68094 Mulhouse Cedex, France
| | - László Trif
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Andrew Steele
- Earth and Planetary Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, 5251 Broad Branch Rd., Washington, DC 20015, USA
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Vishnivetskaya TA, Mironov VA, Abramov AA, Shcherbakova VA, Rivkina EM. Biogeochemical Characteristics of Earth's Volcanic Permafrost: An Analog of Extraterrestrial Environments. ASTROBIOLOGY 2022; 22:812-828. [PMID: 35333595 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0137] [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: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This article describes a study of frozen volcanic deposits collected from volcanoes Tolbachik and Bezymianny on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, and Deception Island volcano, Antarctica. In addition, we studied suprasnow ash layers deposited after the 2007 eruptions of volcanoes Shiveluch and Bezymianny on Kamchatka. The main objectives were to characterize the presence and survivability of thermophilic microorganisms in perennially frozen volcanic deposits. As opposed to permafrost from the polar regions, viable thermophiles were detected in volcanic permafrost by cultivation, microscopy, and sequencing. In the permafrost of Tolbachik volcano, we observed methane formation by both psychrophilic and thermophilic methanogenic archaea, while at 37°C, methane production was noticeably lower. Thermophilic bacteria isolated from volcanic permafrost from the Deception Island were 99.93% related to Geobacillus stearothermophilus. Our data showed biological sulfur reduction to sulfide at 85°C and even at 130°C, where hyperthermophilic archaea of the genus Thermoproteus were registered. Sequences of hyperthermophilic bacteria of the genus Caldicellulosiruptor were discovered in clone libraries from fresh volcanic ash deposited on snow. Microorganisms found in volcanic terrestrial permafrost may serve as a model for the alien inhabitants of Mars, a cryogenic planet with numerous volcanoes. Thermophiles and hyperthermophiles and their metabolic processes represent a guideline for the future exploration missions on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana A Vishnivetskaya
- Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science, Federal Research Center "Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences," Pushchino, Russia
- Center for Environmental Biotechnology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Vasiliy A Mironov
- Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science, Federal Research Center "Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences," Pushchino, Russia
| | - Andrey A Abramov
- Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science, Federal Research Center "Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences," Pushchino, Russia
| | - Viktoria A Shcherbakova
- Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Federal Research Center "Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences," Pushchino, Russia
| | - Elizaveta M Rivkina
- Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science, Federal Research Center "Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences," Pushchino, Russia
- Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119017, Russia
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Escamilla-Roa E, Zorzano MP, Martin-Torres J, Sainz-Díaz CI, Cartwright JHE. Self-Assembled Structures Formed in CO 2-Enriched Atmospheres: A Case-Study for Martian Biomimetic Forms. ASTROBIOLOGY 2022; 22:863-879. [PMID: 35613388 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0123] [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: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the biomimetic precipitation processes that follow the chemical-garden reaction of brines of CaCl2 and sulfate salts with silicate in alkaline conditions under a Mars-type CO2-rich atmosphere. We characterize the precipitates with environmental scanning electron microscope micrography, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffractometry. Our analysis results indicate that self-assembled carbonate structures formed with calcium chloride can have vesicular and filamentary features. With magnesium sulfate as a reactant a tentative assignment with Raman spectroscopy indicates the presence of natroxalate in the precipitate. These morphologies and compounds appear through rapid sequestration of atmospheric CO2 by alkaline solutions of silica and salts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Escamilla-Roa
- Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (CSIC-UGR), Granada, Spain
- International Research Centre in Critical Raw Materials-ICCRAM, Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, Spain
| | - María-Paz Zorzano
- Department of Planetology and Habitability, Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Martin-Torres
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (CSIC-UGR), Granada, Spain
- School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | | | - Julyan H E Cartwright
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (CSIC-UGR), Granada, Spain
- Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
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Seaton KM, Cable ML, Stockton AM. Analytical Chemistry Throughout This Solar System. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY (PALO ALTO, CALIF.) 2022; 15:197-219. [PMID: 35300527 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-anchem-061020-125416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
One of the greatest and most long-lived scientific pursuits of humankind has been to discover and study the planetary objects comprising our solar system. Information gained from solar system observations, via both remote sensing and in situ measurements, is inherently constrained by the analytical (often chemical) techniques we employ in these endeavors. The past 50 years of planetary science missions have resulted in immense discoveries within and beyond our solar system, enabled by state-of-the-art analytical chemical instrument suites on board these missions. In this review, we highlight and discuss some of the most impactful analytical chemical instruments flown on planetary science missions within the last 20 years, including analytical techniques ranging from remote spectroscopy to in situ chemical separations. We first highlight mission-based remote and in situ spectroscopic techniques, followed by in situ separation and mass spectrometry analyses. The results of these investigations are discussed, and their implications examined, from worlds as close as Venus and familiar as Mars to as far away and exotic as Titan. Instruments currently in development for planetary science missions in the near future are also discussed, as are the promises their capabilities bring. Analytical chemistry is critical to understanding what lies beyond Earth in our solar system, and this review seeks to highlight how questions, analytical tools, and answers have intersected over the past 20 years and their implications for the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Marshall Seaton
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA;
| | - Morgan Leigh Cable
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
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Ma G, He Y, Chen B, Deng H, Liu Y, Wang X, Zhao Z, Kan R. Quasi-Simultaneous Sensitive Detection of Two Gas Species by Cavity-Ringdown Spectroscopy with Two Lasers. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 21:7622. [PMID: 34833699 PMCID: PMC8624139 DOI: 10.3390/s21227622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
We developed a cavity ringdown spectrometer by utilizing a step-scanning and dithering method for matching laser wavelengths to optical resonances of an optical cavity. Our approach is capable of working with two and more lasers for quasi-simultaneous measurements of multiple gas species. The developed system was tested with two lasers operating around 1654 nm and 1658 nm for spectral detections of 12CH4 and its isotope 13CH4 in air, respectively. The ringdown time of the empty cavity was about 340 µs. The achieved high detection sensitivity of a noise-equivalent absorption coefficient was 2.8 × 10-11 cm-1 Hz-1/2 or 1 × 10-11 cm-1 by averaging for 30 s. The uncertainty of the high precision determination of δ13CH4 in air is about 1.3‰. Such a system will be useful for future applications such as environmental monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guosheng Ma
- Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China; (G.M.); (Y.H.); (B.C.); (H.D.); (Y.L.)
- Graduate School of Science Island Branch, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Yabai He
- Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China; (G.M.); (Y.H.); (B.C.); (H.D.); (Y.L.)
| | - Bing Chen
- Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China; (G.M.); (Y.H.); (B.C.); (H.D.); (Y.L.)
| | - Hao Deng
- Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China; (G.M.); (Y.H.); (B.C.); (H.D.); (Y.L.)
| | - Ying Liu
- Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China; (G.M.); (Y.H.); (B.C.); (H.D.); (Y.L.)
- Graduate School of Science Island Branch, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Xingping Wang
- School of Engineering Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China;
| | - Zhihao Zhao
- College of Information Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China;
| | - Ruifeng Kan
- Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China; (G.M.); (Y.H.); (B.C.); (H.D.); (Y.L.)
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Luo Y, Mischna MA, Lin JC, Fasoli B, Cai X, Yung YL. Mars Methane Sources in Northwestern Gale Crater Inferred From Back Trajectory Modeling. EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE (HOBOKEN, N.J.) 2021; 8:e2021EA001915. [PMID: 35860450 PMCID: PMC9285602 DOI: 10.1029/2021ea001915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
During its first seven years of operation, the Sample Analysis at Mars Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS) on board the Curiosity rover has detected seven methane spikes above a low background abundance in Gale crater. The methane spikes are likely sourced by surface emission within or around Gale crater. Here, we use inverse Lagrangian modeling techniques to identify upstream emission regions on the Martian surface for these methane spikes at an unprecedented spatial resolution. Inside Gale crater, the northwestern crater floor casts the strongest influence on the detections. Outside Gale crater, the upstream regions common to all the methane spikes extend toward the north. The contrasting results from two consecutive TLS methane measurements performed on the same sol point to an active emission site to the west or the southwest of the Curiosity rover on the northwestern crater floor. The observed spike magnitude and frequency also favor emission sites on the northwestern crater floor, unless there are fast methane removal mechanisms at work, or either the methane spikes of TLS or the non-detections of ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter cannot be trusted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y. Luo
- Division of Geological and Planetary SciencesCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - M. A. Mischna
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - J. C. Lin
- Department of Atmospheric SciencesUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUTUSA
| | - B. Fasoli
- Department of Atmospheric SciencesUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUTUSA
| | - X. Cai
- Columbia UniversityNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Y. L. Yung
- Division of Geological and Planetary SciencesCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
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7
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Vance SD, Melwani Daswani M. Serpentinite and the search for life beyond Earth. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2020; 378:20180421. [PMID: 31902342 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2018.0421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogen from serpentinization is a source of chemical energy for some life forms on Earth. It is a potential fuel for life in the subsurface of Mars and in the icy ocean worlds in the outer solar system. Serpentinization is also implicated in life's origin. Planetary exploration offers a way to investigate such theories by characterizing and ultimately searching for life in geochemical settings that no longer exist on Earth. At present, much of the current context of serpentinization on other worlds relies on inference from modelling and studies on Earth. While there is evidence from orbital spectral imaging and martian meteorites that serpentinization has occurred on Mars, the extent and duration of that activity has not been constrained. Similarly, ongoing serpentinization might explain hydrogen found in the ocean of Saturn's tiny moon Enceladus, but this raises questions about how long such activity has persisted. Titan's hydrocarbon-rich atmosphere may derive from ancient or present-day serpentinization at the bottom of its ocean. In Europa, volcanism or serpentinization may provide hydrogen as a redox couple to oxygen generated at the moon's surface. We assess the potential extent of serpentinization in the solar system's wet and rocky worlds, assuming that microfracturing from thermal expansion anisotropy sets an upper limit on the percolation depth of surface water into the rocky interiors. In this bulk geophysical model, planetary cooling from radiogenic decay implies the infiltration of water to greater depths through time, continuing to the present. The serpentinization of this newly exposed rock is assessed as a significant source of global hydrogen. Comparing the computed hydrogen and surface-generated oxygen delivered to Europa's ocean reveals redox fluxes similar to Earth's. Planned robotic exploration missions to other worlds can aid in understanding the planetary context of serpentinization, testing the predictions herein. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Serpentinite in the Earth System'.
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Affiliation(s)
- S D Vance
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109-8001, USA
| | - M Melwani Daswani
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109-8001, USA
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Onstott T, Ehlmann B, Sapers H, Coleman M, Ivarsson M, Marlow J, Neubeck A, Niles P. Paleo-Rock-Hosted Life on Earth and the Search on Mars: A Review and Strategy for Exploration. ASTROBIOLOGY 2019; 19:1230-1262. [PMID: 31237436 PMCID: PMC6786346 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2018.1960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Here we review published studies on the abundance and diversity of terrestrial rock-hosted life, the environments it inhabits, the evolution of its metabolisms, and its fossil biomarkers to provide guidance in the search for life on Mars. Key findings are (1) much terrestrial deep subsurface metabolic activity relies on abiotic energy-yielding fluxes and in situ abiotic and biotic recycling of metabolic waste products rather than on buried organic products of photosynthesis; (2) subsurface microbial cell concentrations are highest at interfaces with pronounced chemical redox gradients or permeability variations and do not correlate with bulk host rock organic carbon; (3) metabolic pathways for chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms evolved earlier in Earth's history than those of surface-dwelling phototrophic microorganisms; (4) the emergence of the former occurred at a time when Mars was habitable, whereas the emergence of the latter occurred at a time when the martian surface was not continually habitable; (5) the terrestrial rock record has biomarkers of subsurface life at least back hundreds of millions of years and likely to 3.45 Ga with several examples of excellent preservation in rock types that are quite different from those preserving the photosphere-supported biosphere. These findings suggest that rock-hosted life would have been more likely to emerge and be preserved in a martian context. Consequently, we outline a Mars exploration strategy that targets subsurface life and scales spatially, focusing initially on identifying rocks with evidence for groundwater flow and low-temperature mineralization, then identifying redox and permeability interfaces preserved within rock outcrops, and finally focusing on finding minerals associated with redox reactions and associated traces of carbon and diagnostic chemical and isotopic biosignatures. Using this strategy on Earth yields ancient rock-hosted life, preserved in the fossil record and confirmable via a suite of morphologic, organic, mineralogical, and isotopic fingerprints at micrometer scale. We expect an emphasis on rock-hosted life and this scale-dependent strategy to be crucial in the search for life on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- T.C. Onstott
- Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
- Address correspondence to: T.C. Onstott, Department of Geosciences, Princeton University,, Princeton, NJ 008544
| | - B.L. Ehlmann
- Division of Geological & Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- B.L. Ehlmann, Division of Geological & Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
| | - H. Sapers
- Division of Geological & Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - M. Coleman
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- NASA Astrobiology Institute, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - M. Ivarsson
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - J.J. Marlow
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - A. Neubeck
- Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - P. Niles
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, USA
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9
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Habitability of Mars: How Welcoming Are the Surface and Subsurface to Life on the Red Planet? GEOSCIENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/geosciences9090361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Mars is a planet of great interest in the search for signatures of past or present life beyond Earth. The years of research, and more advanced instrumentation, have yielded a lot of evidence which may be considered by the scientific community as proof of past or present habitability of Mars. Recent discoveries including seasonal methane releases and a subglacial lake are exciting, yet challenging findings. Concurrently, laboratory and environmental studies on the limits of microbial life in extreme environments on Earth broaden our knowledge of the possibility of Mars habitability. In this review, we aim to: (1) Discuss the characteristics of the Martian surface and subsurface that may be conducive to habitability either in the past or at present; (2) discuss laboratory-based studies on Earth that provide us with discoveries on the limits of life; and (3) summarize the current state of knowledge in terms of direction for future research.
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11
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Sholes SF, Krissansen-Totton J, Catling DC. A Maximum Subsurface Biomass on Mars from Untapped Free Energy: CO and H 2 as Potential Antibiosignatures. ASTROBIOLOGY 2019; 19:655-668. [PMID: 30950631 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2018.1835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Whether extant life exists in the martian subsurface is an open question. High concentrations of photochemically produced CO and H2 in the otherwise oxidizing martian atmosphere represent untapped sources of biologically useful free energy. These out-of-equilibrium species diffuse into the regolith, so subsurface microbes could use them as a source of energy and carbon. Indeed, CO oxidation and methanogenesis are relatively simple and evolutionarily ancient metabolisms on Earth. Consequently, assuming CO- or H2-consuming metabolisms would evolve on Mars, the persistence of CO and H2 in the martian atmosphere sets limits on subsurface metabolic activity. In this study, we constrain such maximum subsurface metabolic activity on Mars using a one-dimensional photochemical model with a hypothetical global biological sink on atmospheric CO and H2. We increase the biological sink until the modeled atmospheric composition diverges from observed abundances. We find maximum biological downward subsurface sinks of 1.5 × 108 molecules/(cm2·s) for CO and 1.9 × 108 molecules/(cm2·s1) for H2. These convert to a maximum metabolizing biomass of ≲1027 cells or ≤2 × 1011 kg, equivalent to ≤10-4-10-5 of Earth's biomass, depending on the terrestrial estimate. Diffusion calculations suggest that this upper biomass limit applies to the top few kilometers of the martian crust in communication with the atmosphere at low to mid-latitudes. This biomass limit is more robust than previous estimates because we test multiple possible chemoautotrophic ecosystems over a broad parameter space of tunable model variables using an updated photochemical model with precise atmospheric concentrations and uncertainties from Curiosity. Our results of sparse or absent life in the martian subsurface also demonstrate how the atmospheric redox pairs of CO-O2 and H2-O2 may constitute antibiosignatures, which may be relevant to excluding life on exoplanets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven F Sholes
- 1 Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- 2 Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Joshua Krissansen-Totton
- 1 Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- 2 Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - David C Catling
- 1 Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- 2 Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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Korablev O, Vandaele AC, Montmessin F, Fedorova AA, Trokhimovskiy A, Forget F, Lefèvre F, Daerden F, Thomas IR, Trompet L, Erwin JT, Aoki S, Robert S, Neary L, Viscardy S, Grigoriev AV, Ignatiev NI, Shakun A, Patrakeev A, Belyaev DA, Bertaux JL, Olsen KS, Baggio L, Alday J, Ivanov YS, Ristic B, Mason J, Willame Y, Depiesse C, Hetey L, Berkenbosch S, Clairquin R, Queirolo C, Beeckman B, Neefs E, Patel MR, Bellucci G, López-Moreno JJ, Wilson CF, Etiope G, Zelenyi L, Svedhem H, Vago JL. No detection of methane on Mars from early ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter observations. Nature 2019; 568:517-520. [PMID: 30971829 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1096-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The detection of methane on Mars has been interpreted as indicating that geochemical or biotic activities could persist on Mars today1. A number of different measurements of methane show evidence of transient, locally elevated methane concentrations and seasonal variations in background methane concentrations2-5. These measurements, however, are difficult to reconcile with our current understanding of the chemistry and physics of the Martian atmosphere6,7, which-given methane's lifetime of several centuries-predicts an even, well mixed distribution of methane1,6,8. Here we report highly sensitive measurements of the atmosphere of Mars in an attempt to detect methane, using the ACS and NOMAD instruments onboard the ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter from April to August 2018. We did not detect any methane over a range of latitudes in both hemispheres, obtaining an upper limit for methane of about 0.05 parts per billion by volume, which is 10 to 100 times lower than previously reported positive detections2,4. We suggest that reconciliation between the present findings and the background methane concentrations found in the Gale crater4 would require an unknown process that can rapidly remove or sequester methane from the lower atmosphere before it spreads globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleg Korablev
- Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Moscow, Russia.
| | | | - Franck Montmessin
- Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Anna A Fedorova
- Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Moscow, Russia
| | | | - François Forget
- Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD), CNRS Jussieu, Paris, France
| | - Franck Lefèvre
- Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Frank Daerden
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ian R Thomas
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Loïc Trompet
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Justin T Erwin
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Shohei Aoki
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Séverine Robert
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lori Neary
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sébastien Viscardy
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Alexey V Grigoriev
- Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Moscow, Russia
| | - Nikolay I Ignatiev
- Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey Shakun
- Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrey Patrakeev
- Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Moscow, Russia
| | - Denis A Belyaev
- Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Moscow, Russia
| | - Jean-Loup Bertaux
- Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Moscow, Russia.,Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Kevin S Olsen
- Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Lucio Baggio
- Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Juan Alday
- Department of Physics, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | - Yuriy S Ivanov
- Main Astronomical Observatory (MAO), National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine
| | - Bojan Ristic
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jon Mason
- School of Physical Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - Yannick Willame
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Cédric Depiesse
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Laszlo Hetey
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sophie Berkenbosch
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Roland Clairquin
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Claudio Queirolo
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bram Beeckman
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Eddy Neefs
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Manish R Patel
- School of Physical Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | | | - Jose-Juan López-Moreno
- Instituto de Astrofìsica de Andalucía, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | | | - Giuseppe Etiope
- Instituto de Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, INAF, Rome, Italy.,Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Rome, Italy.,Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Lev Zelenyi
- Space Research Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Moscow, Russia
| | - Håkan Svedhem
- European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), ESA, Noordwijk, The Netherlands
| | - Jorge L Vago
- European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), ESA, Noordwijk, The Netherlands
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de Vera JP, Alawi M, Backhaus T, Baqué M, Billi D, Böttger U, Berger T, Bohmeier M, Cockell C, Demets R, de la Torre Noetzel R, Edwards H, Elsaesser A, Fagliarone C, Fiedler A, Foing B, Foucher F, Fritz J, Hanke F, Herzog T, Horneck G, Hübers HW, Huwe B, Joshi J, Kozyrovska N, Kruchten M, Lasch P, Lee N, Leuko S, Leya T, Lorek A, Martínez-Frías J, Meessen J, Moritz S, Moeller R, Olsson-Francis K, Onofri S, Ott S, Pacelli C, Podolich O, Rabbow E, Reitz G, Rettberg P, Reva O, Rothschild L, Sancho LG, Schulze-Makuch D, Selbmann L, Serrano P, Szewzyk U, Verseux C, Wadsworth J, Wagner D, Westall F, Wolter D, Zucconi L. Limits of Life and the Habitability of Mars: The ESA Space Experiment BIOMEX on the ISS. ASTROBIOLOGY 2019; 19:145-157. [PMID: 30742496 PMCID: PMC6383581 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2018.1897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BIOMEX (BIOlogy and Mars EXperiment) is an ESA/Roscosmos space exposure experiment housed within the exposure facility EXPOSE-R2 outside the Zvezda module on the International Space Station (ISS). The design of the multiuser facility supports-among others-the BIOMEX investigations into the stability and level of degradation of space-exposed biosignatures such as pigments, secondary metabolites, and cell surfaces in contact with a terrestrial and Mars analog mineral environment. In parallel, analysis on the viability of the investigated organisms has provided relevant data for evaluation of the habitability of Mars, for the limits of life, and for the likelihood of an interplanetary transfer of life (theory of lithopanspermia). In this project, lichens, archaea, bacteria, cyanobacteria, snow/permafrost algae, meristematic black fungi, and bryophytes from alpine and polar habitats were embedded, grown, and cultured on a mixture of martian and lunar regolith analogs or other terrestrial minerals. The organisms and regolith analogs and terrestrial mineral mixtures were then exposed to space and to simulated Mars-like conditions by way of the EXPOSE-R2 facility. In this special issue, we present the first set of data obtained in reference to our investigation into the habitability of Mars and limits of life. This project was initiated and implemented by the BIOMEX group, an international and interdisciplinary consortium of 30 institutes in 12 countries on 3 continents. Preflight tests for sample selection, results from ground-based simulation experiments, and the space experiments themselves are presented and include a complete overview of the scientific processes required for this space experiment and postflight analysis. The presented BIOMEX concept could be scaled up to future exposure experiments on the Moon and will serve as a pretest in low Earth orbit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Pierre de Vera
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Planetary Research, Management and Infrastructure, Research Group Astrobiological Laboratories, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mashal Alawi
- GFZ, German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Section 5.3 Geomicrobiology, Telegrafenberg, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Theresa Backhaus
- Institut für Botanik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität (HHU), Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Mickael Baqué
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Planetary Research, Management and Infrastructure, Research Group Astrobiological Laboratories, Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniela Billi
- University of Rome Tor Vergata, Department of Biology, Rome, Italy
| | - Ute Böttger
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute for Optical Sensor Systems, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Berger
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology Department, Köln, Germany
| | - Maria Bohmeier
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology Department, Köln, Germany
| | - Charles Cockell
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - René Demets
- European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), European Space Agency (ESA), Noordwijk, the Netherlands
| | - Rosa de la Torre Noetzel
- Departamento de Observación de la Tierra, Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Howell Edwards
- Raman Spectroscopy Group, University Analytical Centre, Division of Chemical and Forensic Sciences, University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK
| | - Andreas Elsaesser
- Institut für experimentelle Physik, Experimentelle Molekulare Biophysik, Frei Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Annelie Fiedler
- University of Potsdam, Biodiversity Research/Systematic Botany, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Bernard Foing
- European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), European Space Agency (ESA), Noordwijk, the Netherlands
| | - Frédéric Foucher
- CNRS, Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, UPR 4301, Orléans, France
| | - Jörg Fritz
- Museum für Naturkunde - Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | - Franziska Hanke
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute for Optical Sensor Systems, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Herzog
- TH Wildau (Technical University of Applied Sciences), Wildau, Germany
| | - Gerda Horneck
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology Department, Köln, Germany
| | - Heinz-Wilhelm Hübers
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute for Optical Sensor Systems, Berlin, Germany
| | - Björn Huwe
- University of Potsdam, Biodiversity Research/Systematic Botany, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Jasmin Joshi
- University of Potsdam, Biodiversity Research/Systematic Botany, Potsdam, Germany
- Hochschule für Technik HSR Rapperswil, Institute for Landscape and Open Space, Rapperswil, Switzerland
| | | | - Martha Kruchten
- Institut für Botanik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität (HHU), Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Peter Lasch
- Robert Koch Institute, Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Berlin, Germany
| | - Natuschka Lee
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Stefan Leuko
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology Department, Köln, Germany
| | - Thomas Leya
- Extremophile Research & Biobank CCCryo, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Andreas Lorek
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Planetary Research, Management and Infrastructure, Research Group Astrobiological Laboratories, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Joachim Meessen
- Institut für Botanik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität (HHU), Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Sophie Moritz
- University of Potsdam, Biodiversity Research/Systematic Botany, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Ralf Moeller
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology Department, Köln, Germany
| | - Karen Olsson-Francis
- School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - Silvano Onofri
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Sieglinde Ott
- Institut für Botanik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität (HHU), Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Claudia Pacelli
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Olga Podolich
- Institute of Molecular Biology & Genetics of NASU, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Elke Rabbow
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology Department, Köln, Germany
| | - Günther Reitz
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology Department, Köln, Germany
| | - Petra Rettberg
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology Department, Köln, Germany
| | - Oleg Reva
- Centre for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | | | | | - Laura Selbmann
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
- Italian National Antarctic Museum (MNA), Mycological Section, Genoa, Italy
| | - Paloma Serrano
- GFZ, German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Section 5.3 Geomicrobiology, Telegrafenberg, Potsdam, Germany
- AWI, Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Ulrich Szewzyk
- TU Berlin, Institute of Environmental Technology, Environmental Microbiology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Cyprien Verseux
- University of Rome Tor Vergata, Department of Biology, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Dirk Wagner
- GFZ, German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Section 5.3 Geomicrobiology, Telegrafenberg, Potsdam, Germany
- University of Potsdam, Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Frances Westall
- CNRS, Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, UPR 4301, Orléans, France
| | - David Wolter
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Planetary Research, Management and Infrastructure, Research Group Astrobiological Laboratories, Berlin, Germany
| | - Laura Zucconi
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
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