Autonomous ME-LIF Microchip System for In-Situ Detection of Organic Biosignatures on Planetary Rovers

To the point

Peter Willis and colleagues have developed a compact, fully automated two‑chip ME‑LIF system that can be mounted on planetary rovers to automatically extract, label, separate, and detect amino acids and other organic biosignatures in soil with far higher sensitivity than GC‑MS, demonstrated in a simulated Mars mission, though it still needs adaptation for spaceflight and harsh extraterrestrial conditions.

Device could help detect signs of extraterrestrial life
sciencedaily.com

Device could help detect signs of extraterrestrial life

Although Earth is uniquely situated in the solar system to support creatures that call it home, different forms of life could have once existed, or might still exist, on other planets. But finding traces of past or current lifeforms on other worlds is challenging. Now, researchers have developed a fully automated microchip electrophoresis analyzer that, when incorporated into a planetary rover, could someday detect organic biosignatures in extraterrestrial soil.