Work

Experimental Molecular Assembly Estimations for Space Exploration Using Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Most biosignature methods are biased by what we know about life on Earth. However, an agnostic approach would be more beneficial when looking for life on other planets. Molecular Assembly (MA) is an experimental agnostic biosignature method that could help to look for unknown life. To date, there has been no experimental test employing MA with an instrument type that is spaceflight ready. To explore whether MA can be used for biosignature detection on flight-like instrumentation, we used gas chromatography-electron impact-mass spectrometry (GC-EI-MS) to estimate MA in a range of different samples. We have demonstrated how GC-EI-MS can be used for experimental EI-MA estimation, showing that we can replicate trends from previous MA experimental work with volatile organic compounds and distinguish samples from abiotic and biotic origin. This is the first extensive laboratory experimental study, demonstrating how EI-MA can be used for measurements on instruments that are spaceflight ready and already deployed in space, showcasing a direct route of how MA could be deployed for life detection measurements in the future. This work is a significant step toward making molecular assembly measurements in situ, advancing the search for unknown life in our solar system.

Source: ACS Earth and Space Chemistry

DOI: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.6c00223

Authors: Silke Asche, Gabriella M. Weiss, Angela H. Chung, Heather V. Graham

Institutions: Goddard Space Flight Center, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Catholic University of America

Language: English

Topic: Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Goddard Space Flight Center, Planetary Science Division

Awards: G3581597466, G6561015458, G6866600364, HOW DO WE CONTEND WITH THE TRULY ALIEN? MOST STRATEGIES FOR BIOSIGNATURE DETECTION RELY UPON FINDING FEATURES KNOWN TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH TERRESTRIAL LIFE SUCH AS PARTICULAR CLASSES OF MOLECULES BUT LIFE MAY BE VASTLY DIFFERENT ON OTHER WORLDS. THIS WORK WILL FURTHER DEVELOP SEVERAL TRULY AGNOSTIC APPROACHES NONE OF WHICH PRESUPPOSE A PARTICULAR MOLECULAR FRAMEWORK. SOME OF THESE AREAS WILL INVOLVE NEW LINES OF INQUIRY THAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED USING INSTRUMENTATION THAT IS EITHER HIGH HERITAGE OR ON A PATH TOWARD HIGH TRL. OTHERS WILL NECESSITATE THE DESIGN OF COMPLETELY NEW ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES. OUR NAI WILL NOT ONLY ADVANCE EACH OF THESE AGNOSTIC DETECTION CONCEPTS SEPARATELY BUT ALSO JOIN THESE TRADITIONALLY FRAGMENTED EFFORTS IN A UNIFIED RESEARCH PROGRAM ONE THAT DRAWS LESSONS FROM OUR OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCES IN PLANETARY EXPLORATION THUS FAR. WE WILL BRING TOGETHER THEORETICIANS AND EXPERIMENTALISTS AS AN INCUBATOR FOR NEW AGNOSTIC LIFE DETECTION APPROACHES CREATE A COMMON TRAINING SET OF BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC TEST SUBSTRATES ESTABLISH LIKELIHOODS AND THRESHOLDS WITH PROBABILISTIC MODELS AND DEVELOP A BROADER FORMULATION OF THE LADDER OF LIFE. IN THE PROCESS WE WILL MERGE THE BROAD AND NARROW ENDS OF THE LIFE DETECTION SPECTRUM INTO A COLLECTIVE DIALOGUE ONE THAT WILL HELP US SYNTHESIZE PRIORITIZE EVALUATE AND STRENGTHEN THE SEARCH FOR LIFE ON FUTURE SPACE MISSIONS., G8030545404