Sulfate minerals and organic compounds on Mars

Aubrey, A. D.; Cleaves, H. James; Chalmers, John H.; Skelley, Alison M.; Mathies, Richard A.; Grunthaner, F. J.; Ehrenfreund, P.; Bada, Jeffrey L.

doi:10.1130/g22316.1

Cited by 153 publications

(109 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…However, certain minerals protect organic molecules against degradation by radiation (i.e. they have a shielding effect), with organic molecules being able to survive for geologically long periods (billions of years) (Aubrey et al 2006;Garry et al 2006;Peeters et al 2009). Sulphates such as gypsum and jarosite (Aubrey et al 2006;dos Santos et al 2016) and clay minerals (dos Santos et al 2016;Martins et al 2011;Poch et al 2015) seem to have a shielding effect protecting organic molecules against destruction.…”

Section: Small Bodies and Exogeneous Sources Of Organic Compounds mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…they have a shielding effect), with organic molecules being able to survive for geologically long periods (billions of years) (Aubrey et al 2006;Garry et al 2006;Peeters et al 2009). Sulphates such as gypsum and jarosite (Aubrey et al 2006;dos Santos et al 2016) and clay minerals (dos Santos et al 2016;Martins et al 2011;Poch et al 2015) seem to have a shielding effect protecting organic molecules against destruction. Sulphates protect amino acids likely because of their opacity to UV radiation (dos Santos et al 2016).Therefore, samples including amino acids, small peptides, nitrogenated bases, or organic residues resulting from laboratory irradiated ice mixtures (Baratta et al 2015), and exposed to real space environments provide crucial information about the energetic processes that comets, asteroids, meteorites and IDPs are exposed to, as well as the role of mineral surfaces in the photochemical stability of organic molecules (Saiagh et al 2014.…”

Section: Small Bodies and Exogeneous Sources Of Organic Compounds mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Space as a Tool for Astrobiology: Review and Recommendations for Experimentations in Earth Orbit and Beyond

et al. 2017

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The space environment is regularly used for experiments addressing astrobiology research goals. The specific conditions prevailing in Earth orbit and beyond, notably the radiative environment (photons and energetic particles) and the possibility to conduct long-duration measurements, have been the main motivations for developing experimental concepts to expose chemical or biological samples to outer space, or to use the reentry of a spacecraft on Earth to simulate the fall of a meteorite. This paper represents an overview of past and current research in astrobiology conducted in Earth orbit and beyond, with a special focus on ESA missions such as Biopan, STONE (on Russian FOTON capsules) and EXPOSE facilities (outside the International Space Station). The future of exposure platforms is discussed, notably how they can be improved for better science return, and how to incorporate the use of small satellites such as those built in cubesat format.

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Section: Small Bodies and Exogeneous Sources Of Organic Compounds mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Small Bodies and Exogeneous Sources Of Organic Compounds mentioning

confidence: 99%

Space as a Tool for Astrobiology: Review and Recommendations for Experimentations in Earth Orbit and Beyond

et al. 2017

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“…In addition, spring deposits may have been host to potentially warm and energy-or nutrient-rich waters where life could have persisted as Mars transitioned into its present less hospitable state (Grasby et al 2003;Manicelli et al 2004;Grasby & Londry 2007). The characterization of sulphate minerals in these Noachian deposits will make it possible to assess past and current habitability as well as biosignature preservation potential (King & McLennan 2010), as some terrestrial sulphates have been shown to preserve organic biosignatures and microfossils on geologically relevant timescales (Aubrey et al 2006;Schopf et al 2012).…”

Section: Martian Habitabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Evaporites have been found to preserve biosignatures in the form of amino acids and their degradation products (Aubrey et al 2006), and by the entrapment of halophiles in fluid inclusions in modern systems (Foster et al 2010), and on geologically relevant timescales from 3500 years to 250 million years (Vreeland et al 2000;Schubert et al 2009). In hypersaline and other extreme conditions, life is often found in endolithic niches, which provide organisms with a protective UV-shielding effect, and temperature and water activity moderation from harsh exterior conditions (Rothschild 1990;Hughes & Lawley 2003;Weirzchos et al 2006;Cockell et al 2008).…”

Section: Organic Biomarker Preservationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The persistence of a chlorophyll spectral biosignature from Martian evaporite and spring analogues under Mars-like conditions

Stromberg¹,

Applin

Cloutis

et al. 2013

International Journal of Astrobiology

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Spring and evaporite deposits are considered two of the most promising environments for past habitability on Mars and preservation of biosignatures. Manitoba, Canada hosts the East German Creek (EGC) hypersaline spring complex, and the post impact evaporite gypsum beds of the Lake St. Martin (LSM) impact. The EGC complex has microbial mats, sediments, algae and biofabrics, while endolithic communities are ubiquitous in the LSM gypsum beds. These communities are spectrally detectable based largely on the presence of a chlorophyll absorption band at 670 nm; however, the robustness of this feature under Martian surface conditions was unclear. Biological and biology-bearing samples from EGC and LSM were exposed to conditions similar to the surface of present day Mars (high UV flux, 100 mbar, anoxic, CO 2 rich) for up to 44 days, and preservation of the 670 nm chlorophyll feature and chlorophyll red-edge was observed. A decrease in band depth of the 670 nm band ranging from *16 to 80% resulted, with correlations seen in the degree of preservation and the spatial proximity of samples to the spring mound and mineral shielding effects. The spectra were deconvolved to Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Pancam and Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Mastcam science filter bandpasses to investigate the detectability of the 670 nm feature and to compare with common mineral features. The red-edge and 670 nm feature associated with chlorophyll can be distinguished from the spectra of minerals with features below *1000 nm, such as hematite and jarosite. However, distinguishing goethite from samples with the chlorophyll feature is more problematic, and quantitative interpretation using band depth data makes little distinction between iron oxyhydroxides and the 670 nm chlorophyll feature. The chlorophyll spectral feature is observable in both Pancam and Mastcam, and we propose that of the proposed EXOMARS Pancam filters, the PHYLL filter is best suited for its detection.

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“…In fact, amino acids should undergo complete racemization in less than 1-10 million years (Bada et al 1999). In addition, P-14 is the sample with the highest sulphate concentration (Kotler et al 2011), which is known to preserve well amino acids (Aubrey et al 2006). Samples P-5, P-6 and P-7 from the Morrison Formation show hardly a positive PCR signal and no amino acids could be extracted from those samples.…”

Section: Correlation Between Environmental Parameters and Biotamentioning

confidence: 99%

Astrobiology and habitability studies in preparation for future Mars missions: trends from investigating minerals, organics and biota

Ehrenfreund

Röling²,

Thiel

et al. 2011

International Journal of Astrobiology

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Several robotic exploration missions will travel to Mars during this decade to investigate habitability and the possible presence of life. Field research at Mars analogue sites such as desert environments can provide important constraints for instrument calibration, landing site strategies and expected life detection targets. We have characterized the mineralogy, organic chemistry and microbiology of ten selected sample sites from the Utah desert in close vicinity to the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) during the EuroGeoMars 2009 campaign (organized by International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG), NASA Ames and ESA ESTEC). Compared with extremely arid deserts (such as the Atacama), organic and biological materials can be identified in a larger number of samples and subsequently be used to perform correlation studies. Among the important findings of this field research campaign are the diversity in the mineralogical composition of soil samples even when collected in close proximity, the low abundances of detectable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and amino acids and the presence of biota of all three domains of life with significant heterogeneity. An extraordinary variety of putative extremophiles, mainly Bacteria and also Archaea and Eukarya was observed. The dominant factor in measurable bacterial abundance seems to be soil porosity and lower small (clay-sized) particle content. However, correlations between many measured parameters are difficult to establish. Field research conducted during the EuroGeoMars 2009 campaign shows that the geological history and depositional environment of the region, as well as the mineralogy influence the ability to detect compounds such as amino acids and DNA. Clays are known to strongly absorb and bind organic molecules often preventing extraction by even sophisticated laboratory methods. Our results indicate the need for further development and optimization of extraction procedures that release biological compounds from host matrices to enable the effective detection of biomarkers during future sampling campaigns on Earth and Mars.

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Sulfate minerals and organic compounds on Mars

Cited by 153 publications

References 27 publications

Space as a Tool for Astrobiology: Review and Recommendations for Experimentations in Earth Orbit and Beyond

Space as a Tool for Astrobiology: Review and Recommendations for Experimentations in Earth Orbit and Beyond

The persistence of a chlorophyll spectral biosignature from Martian evaporite and spring analogues under Mars-like conditions

Astrobiology and habitability studies in preparation for future Mars missions: trends from investigating minerals, organics and biota

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