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A new capillary electrophoresis technique could be much more sensitive to the presence of amino acids on other worlds in our solar system:
A simple chemistry method could vastly enhance how scientists search for signs of life on other planets. The test uses a liquid-based technique known as capillary electrophoresis to separate a mixture of organic molecules into its components. It was designed specifically to analyze for amino acids, the structural building blocks of all life on Earth. The method is 10,000 times more sensitive than current methods employed by spacecraft like NASA's Mars Curiosity rover, according to a new study published in Analytical Chemistry [open, DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b04338] [DX]. The study was carried out by researchers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California.
One of the key advantages of the authors' new way of using capillary electrophoresis is that the process is relatively simple and easy to automate for liquid samples expected on ocean world missions: it involves combining a liquid sample with a liquid reagent, followed by chemical analysis under conditions determined by the team. By shining a laser across the mixture -- a process known as laser-induced fluorescence detection -- specific molecules can be observed moving at different speeds. They get separated based on how quickly they respond to electric fields. While capillary electrophoresis has been around since the early 1980s, this is the first time it has been tailored specifically to detect extraterrestrial life on an ocean world, said lead author Jessica Creamer, a postdoctoral scholar at JPL.
Now we just need a robotic craft capable of drilling a hole through kilometers of crust in order to reach one of the possible subsurface water oceans on Ceres, Ganymede, Callisto, Europa, Enceladus, Titan, Dione, Titania, Oberon, Triton, Pluto, Eris, etc.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Sunday January 29 2017, @05:56PM
amino acids occur naturally through many different non-biological processes
Thats why its no lose. Say the ratio detected is qty 1:2:3:4:5:6:7 then you can generate theories about the peculiar non-life conditions resulting in that ratio, which is interesting. Or you end up with a paradox that can't be solved without life or life is the simplest explanation. Of course it'll be partial each not binary one or the other (probably).
Anyway in summary even if its used to prove theres absolutely no life, then whatever ratio is detected will still imply something interesting.
How the chirality separation works in CE is giant chiral glucose (or whatever) molecules get mixed in and that can be detected... nothing is every really new in chemistry or anything and I remember 20 years ago doing quant analysis using EDTA where EDTA is a big ole giant molecule that kinda wraps around metal ions in a highly predictable manner, this CE technique is similar in concept in that you're adding something to F with the molecules depending on chirality instead of being metal ions, whatever..
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Sunday January 29 2017, @11:38PM
Ratios of what, exactly? Different amino acids? I would think that, given the wide range of different processes that can create them, you'd be hard pressed to come up with *any* ratio of different kinds of amino acids that wouldn't have a plausible non-biological explanation.
I hadn't realized CE could be used for chiral separation, but Google confirms it. thanks for that tidbit.
And just for the sake of completeness, amino acid detection can't possibly be used to prove there's no life - just that there's no amino-acid based life.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Monday January 30 2017, @01:10PM
wouldn't have a plausible non-biological explanation.
Ah OK there is also the more opposite approach, whatever-ium is unstable at pH 8 and higher and 115C and higher so the presence of whatever-ium proves the local environment has not spent much time above pH 8 and 115C and somethingelseium being unstable above 100C with evidence that it was there but 90% of it being decayed away would imply temps spent some time between 100C and 115C.
It'll be fun data to theorize over.