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Fully Automated Microchip Electrophoresis Analyzer for Potential Life Detection Missions
journal contribution
posted on 2020-09-04, 19:33 authored by Maria
F. Mora, Florian Kehl, Eric Tavares da Costa, Nathan Bramall, Peter A. WillisThere
are a variety of complementary observations that could be
used in the search for life in extraterrestrial settings. At the molecular
scale, patterns in the distribution of organics could provide powerful
evidence of a biotic component. In order to observe these molecular
biosignatures during spaceflight missions, it is necessary to perform
separation science in situ. Microchip electrophoresis (ME) is ideally
suited for this task. Although this technique is readily miniaturized
and numerous instruments have been developed over the last 3 decades,
to date, all lack the automation capabilities needed for future missions
of exploration. We have developed a portable, automated, battery-powered,
and remotely operated ME instrument coupled to laser-induced fluorescence
detection. This system contains all the necessary hardware and software
interfaces for end-to-end functionality. Here, we report the first
application of the system for amino acid analysis coupled to an extraction
unit in order to demonstrate automated sample-to-data operation. The
system was remotely operated aboard a rover during a simulated Mars
mission in the Atacama Desert, Chile. This is the first demonstration
of a fully automated ME analysis of soil samples relevant to planetary
exploration. This validation is a critical milestone in the advancement
of this technology for future implementation on a spaceflight mission.
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- Space Science
- Medicine
- Molecular Biology
- Pharmacology
- Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
- Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
- Astronomical and Space Sciences not elsewhere classified
- Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
- Information Systems not elsewhere classified
- Developmental Biology
- Cancer
Keywords
Automated Microchip Electrophoresis...future implementationPotential Life Detection Missionsseparation sciencespaceflight missionssoil sampleslaser-induced fluorescence detectionbiotic componentsample-to-data operationspaceflight missionsoftware interfacesacid analysisautomation capabilitiesMars mission3 decadesexplorationMicrochip electrophoresisextraction unitfuture missionsAtacama Desert
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