Signs Of LIfe Detector

SOLID is currently undergoing testing for use in astrobiology space missions that search for common biomolecules that may indicate the presence of extraterrestrial life, past or present.

Modern astrobiology inquiry has emphasized the search for water on Mars, chemical biosignatures in the permafrost, soil and rocks at the planet's surface, and even biomarker gases in the atmosphere that may give away the presence of past or present life.

[7] SOLID demonstrated that antibodies are unaffected by acidity, heat and oxidants such as perchlorates, and it has emerged as a viable choice for an astrobiology mission directly searching for biosignatures.

An optical system is set up so that a laser beam excites the fluorochrome label and a CCD detector captures an image of the microarray that can be measured.

SOLID instrument concept avoids the high-temperature treatments of other techniques that may destroy organic matter in the presence of Martian oxidants such as perchlorates.

[7] Using the sample cores, SOLID successfully detected several biological polymers in extreme environments in different parts of the world, including a deep South African mine, Antarctica's McMurdo Dry Valleys, Yellowstone, Iceland, Atacama Desert in Chile, and in the acid water of Rio Tinto.

[1] SOLID demonstrated that the chosen antibodies are unaffected by acidity, heat and oxidants such as perchlorates, and it has emerged as a viable choice for an astrobiology mission directly searching for biosignatures.