A life signs detector reminiscent of fictional tech from the Star Trek universe is allowing scientists to successfully identify ancient microbial fossils in rocks similar to those found in ancient lake beds on Mars.
Developed by researchers from the University of Bern, the new life signs detector uses a laser to identify the telltale morphology of microbial life left behind in sedimentary rocks instead of laboratory-based techniques that require collecting the samples and returning them to Earth.
The researchers behind the novel device say their design could be incorporated into future Mars rovers or landers tasked to search for signs of ancient life in the sedimentary rocks of the red planet.
Life Signs Detector Joins List of Star Trek Technologies in Development
Unlike in Star Trek, in the real world, where an all-in-one life signs detector doesn’t yet exist, scientists are exploring several methods for detecting life signs at a distance.
University of Hawaii researchers have developed a “biofinder” that can detect minute amounts of bio-residue on a rock as much as 50 million years old from several meters’ distance. More recently, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory scientists developed a mobile genome sequencer analyzer that turns your iPhone into a Star Trek-style “tricorder.”
Along with life signs detectors and tricorders, researchers are actively trying to replicate many of the technologies seen in the Star Trek universe. For example, several “tractor beam” technologies based on the acoustic radiation force phenomenon have shown promising results.
More speculative Star Trek technologies have also shown promise, including efforts to develop quantum teleportation and Warp Drive. ZC Inc., named after fictional Star Trek warp drive pioneer Zephram Cochran, was formed solely to build a commercially viable warp drive-capable spacecraft. International think tank Applied Physics has published several warp drive studies, including a physical warp drive that requires no exotic matter, and has even released a Warp Drive Simulator to help researchers compete in the coming exotic propulsion space race.
According to a statement from the University of Bern, their research team believes its new Star Trek-style life signs detector could be the critical missing piece for future Mars rovers and landers searching for signs of ancient life on the red planet.
Spaceflight-Prototype Instrument Can Detect Biosignatures in Gypsum
Since testing technologies designed to operate on Mars are primarily performed on Earth due to costs and logistics, the Bern researchers looked for rocks similar to those found on the red planet. Fortunately, the Messinian Salinity Crisis, which occurred over 5 million years ago, left behind sedimentary gypsum rocks that are nearly identical to the gypsum found in dried-out ancient lake beds on Mars. According to the team’s lead researcher, Youcef Sellam, PhD student at the Physics Institute, University of Bern, similar deposits have been identified on Mars.
“Gypsum has been widely detected on the Martian surface and is known for its exceptional fossilization potential,” explained Sellam, the first author of the research article outlining the team’s work. “It forms rapidly, trapping microorganisms before decomposition occurs, and preserves biological structures and chemical biosignatures.”
“These deposits provide an excellent terrestrial analog for Martian sulfate deposits,” Sellam added.
After selecting several gypsum samples from Sidi Boutbal quarry, Algeria, left behind by the Messinian Salinity Crisis, the researchers employed a miniature laser-powered mass spectrometer. Designed to operate in space, this device can analyze the chemical composition in detail as small as a micrometer.
The researchers complemented the mass spectrometer’s work by adding an optical microscope. Together, the devices successfully distinguished the structure of microbial fossils from natural rock formations. According to the researchers, the distinguishing characteristics include morphology, which is irregular, sinuous, and potentially hollow, as well as the presence of chemical elements necessary for life, carbonaceous material, and minerals like clay or dolomite, which the presence of bacteria can influence.
As hoped, the team’s new detector identified “long, twisting fossil filaments,” scientists typically interpret as sulfur-oxidizing bacteria like Beggiatoa. Perhaps even more significant, the filaments were embedded in the gypsum and surrounded by dolomite, pyrite, and other clay minerals. According to the researchers, their presence “signals the presence of organic life” because “prokaryotes — cells without a nucleus — supply elements which clay needs to form.”
Incorporating the New Detector into Future Mars Missions
In the research article’s conclusion, Sellam notes that the team’s findings “strongly support the biogenicity of the fossil filament in gypsum.” Still, the Star Trek-style ability to distinguish true biosignatures from abiotic mineral formations “remains a challenge.” For a more definitive result, the researcher says that “an additional independent detection method would improve the confidence in life detection.
“Additionally, Mars has unique environmental conditions, which could affect biosignature preservation over geological periods,” Sellam said. “Further studies are needed.”
Still, the University of Bern team is confident that their new approach is an improvement over the tools currently used to search for ancient life on Mars and that it is ready to be used in future Mars missions.
“Our findings provide a methodological framework for detecting biosignatures in Martian sulfate minerals, potentially guiding future Mars exploration missions,” said Sellam. “Our laser ablation ionization mass spectrometer, a spaceflight-prototype instrument, can effectively detect biosignatures in sulfate minerals.”
“This technology could be integrated into future Mars rovers or landers for in-situ analysis,” Sellam added.
The research article “The search for ancient life on Mars using morphological and mass spectrometric analysis: an analog study in detecting microfossils in Messinian gypsum” was published in Frontiers.
Christopher Plain is a Science Fiction and Fantasy novelist and Head Science Writer at The Debrief. Follow and connect with him on X, learn about his books at plainfiction.com, or email him directly at christopher@thedebrief.org.