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Clavé E, Beyssac O, Bernard S, Royer C, Lopez-Reyes G, Schröder S, Rammelkamp K, Forni O, Fau A, Cousin A, Manrique JA, Ollila A, Madariaga JM, Aramendia J, Sharma SK, Fornaro T, Maurice S, Wiens RC. Radiation-induced alteration of apatite on the surface of Mars: first in situ observations with SuperCam Raman onboard Perseverance. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11284. [PMID: 38760365 PMCID: PMC11101483 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61494-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Planetary exploration relies considerably on mineral characterization to advance our understanding of the solar system, the planets and their evolution. Thus, we must understand past and present processes that can alter materials exposed on the surface, affecting space mission data. Here, we analyze the first dataset monitoring the evolution of a known mineral target in situ on the Martian surface, brought there as a SuperCam calibration target onboard the Perseverance rover. We used Raman spectroscopy to monitor the crystalline state of a synthetic apatite sample over the first 950 Martian days (sols) of the Mars2020 mission. We note significant variations in the Raman spectra acquired on this target, specifically a decrease in the relative contribution of the Raman signal to the total signal. These observations are consistent with the results of a UV-irradiation test performed in the laboratory under conditions mimicking ambient Martian conditions. We conclude that the observed evolution reflects an alteration of the material, specifically the creation of electronic defects, due to its exposure to the Martian environment and, in particular, UV irradiation. This ongoing process of alteration of the Martian surface needs to be taken into account for mineralogical space mission data analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Clavé
- DLR - Institute of Optical Sensor Systems, Berlin, Germany.
| | - O Beyssac
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, CNRS, UMR 7590, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - S Bernard
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, CNRS, UMR 7590, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - C Royer
- Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales, CNRS, Univ. Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Sorbonne Univ, Guyancourt, France
| | - G Lopez-Reyes
- Research Group ERICA, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - S Schröder
- DLR - Institute of Optical Sensor Systems, Berlin, Germany
| | - K Rammelkamp
- DLR - Institute of Optical Sensor Systems, Berlin, Germany
| | - O Forni
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, CNRS, CNES, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - A Fau
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, CNRS, CNES, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - A Cousin
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, CNRS, CNES, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - J A Manrique
- Research Group ERICA, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - A Ollila
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - J M Madariaga
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940, Leioa, Spain
| | - J Aramendia
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940, Leioa, Spain
| | - S K Sharma
- Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - T Fornaro
- INAF-Astrophysical Observatory of Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, 50125, Firenze, Italy
| | - S Maurice
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, CNRS, CNES, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - R C Wiens
- Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
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Mustieles-Del-Ser P, Ruano-Gallego D, Parro V. Immunoanalytical Detection of Conserved Peptides: Refining the Universe of Biomarker Targets in Planetary Exploration. Anal Chem 2024; 96:4764-4773. [PMID: 38484023 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c04165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Ancient peptides are remnants of early biochemistry that continue to play pivotal roles in current proteins. They are simple molecules yet complex enough to exhibit independent functions, being products of an evolved biochemistry at the interface of life and nonlife. Their adsorption to minerals may contribute to their stabilization and preservation over time. To investigate the feasibility of conserved peptide sequences and structures as target biomarkers for the search for life on Mars or other planetary bodies, we conducted a bioinformatics selection of well-conserved ancient peptides and produced polyclonal antibodies for their detection using fluorescence microarray immunoassays. Additionally, we explored how adsorbing peptides to Mars-representative minerals to form organomineral complexes could affect their immunological detection. The results demonstrated that the selected peptides exhibited autonomous folding, with some of them regaining their structure, even after denaturation. Furthermore, their cognate antibodies detected their conformational features regardless of amino acid sequences, thereby broadening the spectrum of target peptide sequences. While certain antibodies displayed unspecific binding to bare minerals, we validated that peptide-mineral complexes can be detected using sandwich immunoassays, as confirmed through desorption and competitive assays. Consequently, we conclude that the diversity of peptide sequences and structures suitable for use as target biomarkers in astrobiology can be constrained to a few well conserved sets, and they can be detected even if they are adsorbed in organomineral complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Mustieles-Del-Ser
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) INTA-CSIC, Torrejón de Ardoz 28850, Spain
- Departments of Physics and Mathematics, and Automatics, Universidad de Alcalá (UAH), Alcalá de Henares 28805, Spain
| | | | - Víctor Parro
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) INTA-CSIC, Torrejón de Ardoz 28850, Spain
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Wu JH, McGenity TJ, Rettberg P, Simões MF, Li WJ, Antunes A. The archaeal class Halobacteria and astrobiology: Knowledge gaps and research opportunities. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1023625. [PMID: 36312929 PMCID: PMC9608585 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1023625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Water bodies on Mars and the icy moons of the outer solar system are now recognized as likely being associated with high levels of salt. Therefore, the study of high salinity environments and their inhabitants has become increasingly relevant for Astrobiology. Members of the archaeal class Halobacteria are the most successful microbial group living in hypersaline conditions and are recognized as key model organisms for exposure experiments. Despite this, data for the class is uneven across taxa and widely dispersed across the literature, which has made it difficult to properly assess the potential for species of Halobacteria to survive under the polyextreme conditions found beyond Earth. Here we provide an overview of published data on astrobiology-linked exposure experiments performed with members of the Halobacteria, identifying clear knowledge gaps and research opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Hui Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), Taipa, Macau SAR, China
- China National Space Administration (CNSA), Macau Center for Space Exploration and Science, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Terry J. McGenity
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom
| | - Petra Rettberg
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Köln, Germany
| | - Marta F. Simões
- State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), Taipa, Macau SAR, China
- China National Space Administration (CNSA), Macau Center for Space Exploration and Science, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Wen-Jun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - André Antunes
- State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), Taipa, Macau SAR, China
- China National Space Administration (CNSA), Macau Center for Space Exploration and Science, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
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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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Muñoz-Iglesias V, Sánchez-García L, Carrizo D, Molina A, Fernández-Sampedro M, Prieto-Ballesteros O. Raman spectroscopic peculiarities of Icelandic poorly crystalline minerals and their implications for Mars exploration. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5640. [PMID: 35379897 PMCID: PMC8979959 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09684-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In this work, we have analyzed natural samples collected at three hydrothermal areas of Iceland by Raman spectroscopy. The studied high-latitude regions are considered environmentally and mineralogically appropriate Martian analogues since they are rich in weathered basalts that have been altered by hydrothermalism to mineral phases such as silica, clay minerals, sulfates, oxides, and sulfur. The main objective of this work was to assess the relation of the spectroscopic signatures of alteration to hydrothermal processes and biomediation, considering previous studies focused on the detection of lipid biomarkers in the same samples. The recorded Raman spectra, taken with optical parameters similar to the ExoMars 2022 Raman spectrometer, showed structural modifications in all secondary minerals in the form of peak shifts (in the case of sulfur and clay minerals), changes in the relative ratio intensity (in anatase) and/or shape broadening (in sulfates and hematite). These results reveal the suitability of Raman spectroscopy to examine areas rich in water-altered minerals, where a mixture of crystalline and amorphous phases can co-exist. The detection of silica is singularly interesting since, on the one hand, it can imply the past existence of hydrothermal hot springs rich in nutrient and redox gradients and, on the other hand, provides excellent matrix for biosignature preservation. The data can be helpful as an astrobiological database for the forthcoming missions to Mars, where potential upwelling groundwater systems could have altered the mineral phases in a similar way to that observed in this work.
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Indicator Minerals, Pathfinder Elements, and Portable Analytical Instruments in Mineral Exploration Studies. MINERALS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/min12040394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Until recently, the classic approach to mineral exploration studies was to bring the field samples/drill cores collected during field studies to the laboratory, followed by laborious analysis procedures to generate the analytical data. This is very expensive, time-consuming, and difficult for exploring vast areas. However, rapid technological advances in field-portable analytical instruments, such as portable visible and near-infrared spectrophotometers, gamma-ray spectrometer, pXRF, pXRD, pLIBS, and µRaman spectrometer, have changed this scenario completely and increased their on-site applications in mineral exploration studies. LED fluorimeter is a potential portable tool in the hydrogeochemical prospecting studies of uranium. These instruments are currently providing direct, rapid, on-site, real-time, non-destructive, cost-effective identification, and determination of target elements, indicator minerals and pathfinder elements in rock, ore, soil, sediment, and water samples. These portable analytical instruments are currently helping to obtain accurate chemical and mineralogical information directly in the field with minimal or no sample preparation and providing decision-making support during fieldwork, as well as during drilling operations in several successful mineral exploration programs. In this article, the developments in these portable devices, and their contributions in the platinum group elements (PGE), rare earth elements (REE), gold, base metals, and lithium exploration studies both on land and on the ocean bed, have been summarized with examples.
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Huidobro J, Aramendia J, Arana G, Madariaga JM. Reviewing in situ analytical techniques used to research Martian geochemistry: From the Viking Project to the MMX future mission. Anal Chim Acta 2022; 1197:339499. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2022.339499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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