Morphological biosignatures from relict fossilised sedimentary geological specimens: a Raman spectroscopic study

Edwards, Howell G. M.; Villar, Susana E. Jorge; Pullan, D.; Hargreaves, Michael D.; Hofmann, Beda A.; Westall, F.

doi:10.1002/jrs.1775

Cited by 44 publications

(31 citation statements)

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“…Use of a Raman microprobe across a range of available laser excitation wavelengths enables the acquisition of molecular information from organic (acids and pigments) and inorganic components of the lichen encrustation with a spectral footprint of several micrometers in diameter (76)(77)(78)(79). The distribution of pigments (zeaxanthin, gyrophoric acid, atranorin, and others) was determined in different species of lichens and reported from many areas of differing climatic and physicochemical and substrate conditions (80)(81)(82)(83)(84)(85)(86) (Table 1).…”

Section: Raman Features Of Pigments From Natural Biogeological Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Raman microspectrometry permits the direct study of pigment type and distribution in endolithic zones in the frame of natural stony samples without sample treatment or extractions. Microbial communities inhabiting rocks from various extreme environments were studied: Antarctic habitats (82-84), volcanic rocks as well as travertines on Svalbard (Norway) (80,85) as well as halophiles from a hot desert (68,86). Raman spectroscopy revealed differences in pigment distribution in chasmolithic and endolithic colonizations of differing lithologies, including those from dolomite, gypsum, or altered orthoquartzite (83,86).…”

Section: Raman Features Of Pigments From Natural Biogeological Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Microbial communities inhabiting rocks from various extreme environments were studied: Antarctic habitats (82-84), volcanic rocks as well as travertines on Svalbard (Norway) (80,85) as well as halophiles from a hot desert (68,86). Raman spectroscopy revealed differences in pigment distribution in chasmolithic and endolithic colonizations of differing lithologies, including those from dolomite, gypsum, or altered orthoquartzite (83,86). Raman microspectrometry was able to detect scytonemin as well as chlorophyll, carotenoids and mycosporine-like amino acids in a series of samples of halite endoliths from Yungay and Salar Grande sites in the Atacama Desert in Chile (69).…”

Section: Raman Features Of Pigments From Natural Biogeological Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Raman Spectroscopy of Microbial Pigments

Jehlička

Edwards

Oren

2014

Appl Environ Microbiol

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151

114

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Raman spectroscopy is a rapid nondestructive technique providing spectroscopic and structural information on both organic and inorganic molecular compounds. Extensive applications for the method in the characterization of pigments have been found. Due to the high sensitivity of Raman spectroscopy for the detection of chlorophylls, carotenoids, scytonemin, and a range of other pigments found in the microbial world, it is an excellent technique to monitor the presence of such pigments, both in pure cultures and in environmental samples. Miniaturized portable handheld instruments are available; these instruments can be used to detect pigments in microbiological samples of different types and origins under field conditions.

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Section: Raman Features Of Pigments From Natural Biogeological Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Raman Features Of Pigments From Natural Biogeological Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Raman Features Of Pigments From Natural Biogeological Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Raman Spectroscopy of Microbial Pigments

Jehlička

Edwards

Oren

2014

Appl Environ Microbiol

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151

114

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“…Researchers are using Raman spectroscopy to access the composition of putative microfossils as an additional line of evidence for microbial life in the rock record (e.g., Pflug and Jaeschke-Boyer, 1979;Pflug, 1984;Ueno et al, 2001aUeno et al, , 2001bSchopf et al, 2002Schopf et al, , 2010Kudryavtsev, 2005, 2009;Edwards et al, 2007;Schiffbauer et al, 2007Schiffbauer et al, , 2012Kazmierczak and Kremer, 2009;Kremer et al, 2012a;Meyer et al, 2012). The ESA/NASA ExoMars planetary mission proposed for launch in 2018 will contain a miniaturized Raman spectrometer (RLS) as part of the Pasteur payload (Vago et al, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Raman Hyperspectral Imaging of Microfossils: Potential Pitfalls

Marshall

Marshall²

2013

Astrobiology

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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 sp 2 carbons. Key Words: Raman spectroscopy-Raman imaging-Confocal Raman spectroscopy-Disordered sp 2 carbons-HematiteMicrofossils. Astrobiology 13, 920-931.

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“…Interestingly, Edwards et al (2007) observed Raman signals for disordered sp 2 carbonaceous materials, carotenoids, and porphyrins acquired from cherts from the Trendall and Kitty's Gap localities from the Panorama Formation, Pilbara, Western Australia. Raman signals for carotenoids and porphyrins were measured in, or near, fractures within the hand specimens of the chert samples (see Fig.…”

Section: History Of Raman Spectroscopy Applied To Archean Carbonaceoumentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the Application of Raman Spectroscopy to the Detection of Traces of Life

Marshall

Edwards²,

Jehlička³

2010

Astrobiology

167

109

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Investigating carbonaceous microstructures and material in Earth's oldest sedimentary rocks is an essential part of tracing the origins of life on our planet; furthermore, it is important for developing techniques to search for traces of life on other planets, for example, Mars. NASA and ESA are considering the adoption of miniaturized Raman spectrometers for inclusion in suites of analytical instrumentation to be placed on robotic landers on Mars in the near future to search for fossil or extant biomolecules. Recently, Raman spectroscopy has been used to infer a biological origin of putative carbonaceous microfossils in Early Archean rocks. However, it has been demonstrated that the spectral signature obtained from kerogen (of known biological origin) is similar to spectra obtained from many poorly ordered carbonaceous materials that arise through abiotic processes. Yet there is still confusion in the literature as to whether the Raman spectroscopy of carbonaceous materials can indeed delineate a signature of ancient life. Despite the similar nature in spectra, rigorous structural interrogation between the thermal alteration products of biological and nonbiological organic materials has not been undertaken. Therefore, we propose a new way forward by investigating the second derivative, deconvolution, and chemometrics of the carbon first-order spectra to build a database of structural parameters that may yield distinguishable characteristics between biogenic and abiogenic carbonaceous material. To place Raman spectroscopy as a technique to delineate a biological origin for samples in context, we will discuss what is currently accepted as a spectral signature for life; review Raman spectroscopy of carbonaceous material; and provide a historical overview of Raman spectroscopy applied to Archean carbonaceous materials, interpretations of the origin of the ancient carbonaceous material, and a future way forward for Raman spectroscopy.

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Morphological biosignatures from relict fossilised sedimentary geological specimens: a Raman spectroscopic study

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Cited by 44 publications

References 37 publications

Raman Spectroscopy of Microbial Pigments

Raman Spectroscopy of Microbial Pigments

Raman Hyperspectral Imaging of Microfossils: Potential Pitfalls

Understanding the Application of Raman Spectroscopy to the Detection of Traces of Life

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