The role of aluminium in the preservation of microbial biosignatures

Demonstrating the biogenicity of presumptive microfossils in the geological record often requires supporting chemical signatures, including isotopic signatures. Understanding the mechanisms that promote the preservation of microbial biosignatures associated with microfossils is fundamental to unravelling the palaeomicrobiological history of the material. Organomineralization of microorganisms is likely to represent the first stages of microbial fossilisation and has been hypothesised to prevent the autolytic degradation of microbial cell envelope structures. In the present study, two distinct fossilisation textures(permineralised microfossils and iron oxide encrusted cell envelopes)identified throughout iron-rich rock samples were analysed using nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry(NanoSIMS). In this system, aluminium is enriched around the permineralised microfossils, while iron is enriched within the intracellularly, within distinct cell envelopes. Remarkably,while cell wall structures are indicated, carbon and nitrogen biosignatures are not preserved with permineralised microfossils. Therefore, the enrichment of aluminium, delineating these microfossils appears to have been critical to their structural preservation in this iron-rich environment. In contrast,NanoSIMS analysis of mineral encrusted cell envelopes reveals that preserved carbon and nitrogen biosignatures are associated with the cell envelope structures of these microfossils. Interestingly, iron is depleted in regions where carbon and nitrogen are preserved. In contrast aluminium appears to be slightly enriched in regions associated with remnant cell envelope structures. The correlation of aluminium with carbon and nitrogen biosignatures suggests the complexation of aluminium with preserved cell envelope structures before or immediately after cell death may have inactivated autolytic activity preventing the rapid breakdown of these organic, macromolecular structures.Combined, these results highlight that aluminium may play an important role in the preservation of microorganisms within the rock record.

Detection of biosignatures in Terrestrial analogs of Martian regions:Strategical and technical assessments

For decades, the search for potential signs of Martian life has attracted strong international interest and has led to significant planning and scientific implementation. Clearly, in order to detect potential life signals beyond Earth, fundamental questions, such as how to define such terms as “life” and “biosignature”, have been given considerable attention. Due to the high costs of direct exploration of Mars, Mars-like regions on Earth have been invaluable targets for astrobiological research, places where scientists could practice the search for “biosignatures” and refine ways to detect them. This review summarizes scientific instrumental techniques that have resulted from this work. Instruments must necessarily be our “eyes” and “hands” as we attempt to identify and quantify biosignatures on Mars.Scientific devices that can be applied in astrobiology include mass spectrometers and electromagnetic-spectrum-based spectrometers,redox potential indicators, circular dichroism polarimeters, in situ nucleic acid sequencers, life isolation/cultivation systems, and imagers.These devices and how to interpret the data they collect have been tested in Mars-analog extreme environments on Earth to validate their practicality on Mars. To anticipate the challenges of instrumental detection of biosignatures through the full evolutionary history of Mars, Terrestrial Mars analogs are divided into four major categories according to their similarities to different Martian geological periods(the Early-Middle Noachian Period, the Late Noachian-Early Hesperian Period, the Late Hesperian-Early Amazonian Period, and the Middle-Late Amazonian Period). Future missions are suggested that would focus more intensively on Mars’ Southern Hemisphere, once landing issues there are solved by advances in spacecraft engineering, since exploration of these early terrains will permit investigations covering a wider continuum of the shifting habitability of Mars through its geological history. Finally, this paper reviews practical applications of the range of scientific instruments listed above, based on the four categories of Mars analogs here on Earth. We review the selection of instruments suitable for autonomous robotic rover tests in these Mars analogs. From considerations of engineering efficiency,a Mars rover ought to be equipped with as few instrument assemblies as possible. Therefore, once candidate landing regions on Mars are defined, portable suites of instruments should be smartly devised on the basis of the known geological, geochemical, geomorphological,and chronological characteristics of each Martian landing region. Of course, if Mars sample-return missions are successful, such samples will allow experiments in laboratories on Earth that can be far more comprehensive and affordable than is likely to be practicable on Mars.To exclude false positive and false negative conclusions in the search for extraterrestrial life, multiple diverse and complementary analytical techniques must be combined, replicated, and carefully interpreted. The question of whether signatures of life can be detected on Mars is of the greatest importance. Answering that question is extremely challenging but appears to have become manageable.

A new semi-quantitative Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) method for detection of maleimide (2,5-pyrroledione) with potential application to astrobiology

Nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds are fundamental biochemical components of all life on Earth and,presumably,life elsewhere in our solar system.Detection and characterization of these compounds by traditional solvent extraction,chromatographic separation,and GC-MS analysis require more sample mass than will be available from samples returned to Earth from Mars.With its small sample mass requirement,Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy could be an appropriate technique for analysis of returned samples.We have developed a SERS method for the detection of maleimide(2,5-pyrroledione),an N-containing heterocycle with a structure that is widespread in biochemicals.This semi-quantitative methodology accurately determines maleimide concentration in the range from 60 mg/mL to 120 mg/mL.We present a maleimide SERS standard spectrum which will be useful as a reference for future works.The present work demonstrates an easy,accurate,and effective method for the non-destructive qualitative and semi-quantitative study of maleimide as a first step toward developing a method for analysis of related compounds.

Simultaneous characterization of the atmospheres,surfaces,and exomoons of nearby rocky exoplanets

Atmospheric composition is an important indicator of habitability and life.The presence or absence of a large exomoon around an Earth-size exoplanet could have important consequences for planet climate stability.Thus the detection of exomoons and retrieval of information regarding atmospheric composition of Earth-size exoplanets are important goals of future exoplanet observations.Here a data analysis method is developed to achieve both goals simultaneously,based on reflection spectra of exoplanet-exomoon systems.We show that the existence of exomoons,the size of exomoons,and the concentrations of some atomic and molecular species in the atmospheres of their hosting Earth-like exoplanets can be retrieved with high levels of reliability.In addition,the method can provide well-constrained fractions of basic surface types on the targets because of the characteristic spectral features of atmospheric species and surface types in the analyzed spectral range.

Precipitation of High Mg-Calcite and Protodolomite Using Dead Biomass of Aerobic Halophilic Bacteria

The microbial dolomite model has been used to interpret the origin of sedimentary dolomite.In this model,the formation of low-temperature protodolomite,an important precursor to sedimentary dolomite,can be facilitated either by actively metabolizing cells of anaerobic microbes and aerobic halophilic archaea or by their inactive biomass.Aerobic halophilic bacteria are widely distributed in(proto-)dolomite-depositing evaporitic environments and their biomass might serve as a template for the crystallization of protodolomite.To test this hypothesis,carbonation experiments were conducted using dead biomass of an aerobic halophilic bacterium(Exiguobacterium sp.strain JBHLT-3).Our results show that dead biomass of JBHLT-3 can accelerate Mg2+uptake in carbonate mineral precipitates.In addition,the amount of Mg incorporated into Ca-Mg carbonates is proportional to the concentration of biomass.High Mg-calcite is produced with 0.25 or 0.5 g/L biomass,whereas protodolomite forms with 1 g/L biomass.This is confirmed by the main Raman peak of Ca-Mg carbonates,which shifts towards higher wavenumbers with increased Mg substitution.Microbial cells and their imprints are preserved on the surface of high Mg-calcite and protodolomite.Hence,this study furthers our understanding of the dolomitization within buried and dead microbial mats,which provides useful insights into the origin of ancient dolomite.