« Previous AbstractAromatic Characterization of New White Wine Varieties Made from Monastrell Grapes Grown in South-Eastern Spain    Next AbstractInfluence of cold pre-fermentation treatments on the major volatile compounds of three wine varieties »

Astrobiology

Title:		Detecting Nonvolatile Life- and Nonlife-Derived Organics in a Carbonaceous Chondrite Analogue with a New Multiplex Immunoassay and Its Relevance for Planetary Exploration
Author(s):		Moreno-Paz M; Gomez-Cifuentes A; Ruiz-Bermejo M; Hofstetter O; Maquieira A; Manchado JM; Morais S; Sephton MA; Niessner R; Knopp D; Parro V;
Address:		"1 Department of Molecular Evolution, Centro de Astrobiologia (INTA-CSIC) , Madrid, Spain . 2 Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Northern Illinois University , DeKalb, Illinois. 3 Department of Chemistry, Instituto Universitario de Reconocimiento Molecular y Desarrollo Tecnologico, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia , Valencia, Spain . 4 Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London , London, United Kingdom . 5 Department Chemie, Technische Universitat Munchen , Munich, Germany"
Journal Title:		Astrobiology
Year:		2018
Volume:		20180411
Issue:		8
Page Number:		1041 - 1056
DOI:		10.1089/ast.2017.1747
ISSN/ISBN:		1557-8070 (Electronic) 1531-1074 (Print) 1557-8070 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Potential martian molecular targets include those supplied by meteoritic carbonaceous chondrites such as amino acids and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and true biomarkers stemming from any hypothetical martian biota (organic architectures that can be directly related to once living organisms). Heat extraction and pyrolysis-based methods currently used in planetary exploration are highly aggressive and very often modify the target molecules making their identification a cumbersome task. We have developed and validated a mild, nondestructive, multiplex inhibitory microarray immunoassay and demonstrated its implementation in the SOLID (Signs of Life Detector) instrument for simultaneous detection of several nonvolatile life- and nonlife-derived organic molecules relevant in planetary exploration and environmental monitoring. By utilizing a set of highly specific antibodies that recognize D- or L- aromatic amino acids (Phe, Tyr, Trp), benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), pentachlorophenol, and sulfone-containing aromatic compounds, respectively, the assay was validated in the SOLID instrument for the analysis of carbon-rich samples used as analogues of the organic material in carbonaceous chondrites or even Mars samples. Most of the antibodies enabled sensitivities at the 1-10 ppb level and some even at the ppt level. The multiplex immunoassay allowed the detection of B[a]P as well as aromatic sulfones in a water/methanol extract of an Early Cretaceous lignite sample (c.a., 140 Ma) representing type IV kerogen. No L- or D-aromatic amino acids were detected, reflecting the advanced diagenetic stage and the fossil nature of the sample. The results demonstrate the ability of the liquid extraction by ultrasonication and the versatility of the multiplex inhibitory immunoassays in the SOLID instrument to discriminate between organic matter derived from life and nonlife processes, an essential step toward life detection outside Earth"
Keywords:		"Amino Acids, Aromatic/analysis Antibodies/analysis Benzo(a)pyrene/chemistry Calibration *Exobiology Immunoassay/*methods *Meteoroids Models, Molecular Organic Chemicals/*analysis *Planets Volatilization D- and L- aromatic amino acids Kerogen type IV Life;"
Notes:		"MedlineMoreno-Paz, Mercedes Gomez-Cifuentes, Ana Ruiz-Bermejo, Marta Hofstetter, Oliver Maquieira, Angel Manchado, Juan M Morais, Sergi Sephton, Mark A Niessner, Reinhard Knopp, Dietmar Parro, Victor eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2018/04/12 Astrobiology. 2018 Aug; 18(8):1041-1056. doi: 10.1089/ast.2017.1747. Epub 2018 Apr 11"