Lessons from Astrobiological Planetary Analogue Exploration in Iceland: Biomarker Assay Performance and Downselection

Understanding the sensitivity of biomarker assays to the local physicochemical environment, and the underlying spatial distribution of the target biomarkers in 'homogeneous' environments, can increase mission science return. We have conducted four expeditions to Icelandic Mars analogue sit...

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Main Authors: Cullen, T., Stevens, Duca, Z., Stockton, A., Murukesan, G., Rennie, V., Cable, M. L., Cullen, D., Yin, C., Cantrell, T., Schwieterman, E., McCaig, H., Tan, G., Kirby, J., Gentry, D. M., Geppert, W., Jacobsen, M., Chaudry, N., Amador, E. S.
Format: Other/Unknown Material
Language:unknown
Published: 2017
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20170002413
id ftnasantrs:oai:casi.ntrs.nasa.gov:20170002413
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spelling ftnasantrs:oai:casi.ntrs.nasa.gov:20170002413 2023-05-15T16:52:40+02:00 Lessons from Astrobiological Planetary Analogue Exploration in Iceland: Biomarker Assay Performance and Downselection Cullen, T. Stevens, Duca, Z. Stockton, A. Murukesan, G. Rennie, V. Cable, M. L. Cullen, D. Yin, C. Cantrell, T. Schwieterman, E. McCaig, H. Tan, G. Kirby, J. Gentry, D. M. Geppert, W. Jacobsen, M. Chaudry, N. Amador, E. S. Unclassified, Unlimited, Publicly available March 20, 2017 application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20170002413 unknown Document ID: 20170002413 http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20170002413 Copyright, Distribution as joint owner in the copyright CASI Exobiology Earth Resources and Remote Sensing ARC-E-DAA-TN39489 Lunar and Planetary Science Conference); 20-24 Mar. 2017; The Woodlands, TX; United States 2017 ftnasantrs 2019-07-20T23:37:59Z Understanding the sensitivity of biomarker assays to the local physicochemical environment, and the underlying spatial distribution of the target biomarkers in 'homogeneous' environments, can increase mission science return. We have conducted four expeditions to Icelandic Mars analogue sites in which an increasingly refined battery of physicochemical measurements and biomarker assays were performed, staggered with scouting of further sites. Completed expeditions took place in 2012 (location scouting and field assay use testing), 2013 (sampling of two major sites with three assays and observational physicochemical measurements), 2015 (repeat sampling of prior sites and one new site, scouting of new sites, three assays and three instruments), and 2016 (preliminary sampling of new sites with analysis of returned samples). Target sites were geologically recent basaltic lava flows, and sample loci were arranged in hierarchically nested grids at 10 cm, 1 m, 10 m, 100 m, and >1 km order scales, subject to field constraints. Assays were intended to represent a diversity of potential biomarker types (cell counting via nucleic acid staining and fluorescence microscopy, ATP quantification via luciferase luminescence, and relative DNA quantification with simple domain-level primers) rather a specific mission science target, and were selected to reduce laboratory overhead, require limited consumables, and allow rapid turnaround. All analytical work was performed in situ or in a field laboratory within a day's travel of the field sites unless otherwise noted. We have demonstrated the feasibility of performing ATP quantification and qPCR analysis in a field-based laboratory with single-day turnaround. The ATP assay was generally robust and reliable and required minimal field equipment and training to produce a large amount of useful data. DNA was successfully extracted from all samples, but the serial-batch nature of qPCR significantly limited the number of primers (hence classifications) and replicates that could be run in a single day. Fluorescence microscopy did not prove feasible under the same constraints, primarily due to the large number of person-hours required to view, analyze, and record results from the images; however, this could be mitigated with higher-quality imaging instruments and appropriate image analysis software. Other/Unknown Material Iceland NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
institution Open Polar
collection NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
op_collection_id ftnasantrs
language unknown
topic Exobiology
Earth Resources and Remote Sensing
spellingShingle Exobiology
Earth Resources and Remote Sensing
Cullen, T.
Stevens,
Duca, Z.
Stockton, A.
Murukesan, G.
Rennie, V.
Cable, M. L.
Cullen, D.
Yin, C.
Cantrell, T.
Schwieterman, E.
McCaig, H.
Tan, G.
Kirby, J.
Gentry, D. M.
Geppert, W.
Jacobsen, M.
Chaudry, N.
Amador, E. S.
Lessons from Astrobiological Planetary Analogue Exploration in Iceland: Biomarker Assay Performance and Downselection
topic_facet Exobiology
Earth Resources and Remote Sensing
description Understanding the sensitivity of biomarker assays to the local physicochemical environment, and the underlying spatial distribution of the target biomarkers in 'homogeneous' environments, can increase mission science return. We have conducted four expeditions to Icelandic Mars analogue sites in which an increasingly refined battery of physicochemical measurements and biomarker assays were performed, staggered with scouting of further sites. Completed expeditions took place in 2012 (location scouting and field assay use testing), 2013 (sampling of two major sites with three assays and observational physicochemical measurements), 2015 (repeat sampling of prior sites and one new site, scouting of new sites, three assays and three instruments), and 2016 (preliminary sampling of new sites with analysis of returned samples). Target sites were geologically recent basaltic lava flows, and sample loci were arranged in hierarchically nested grids at 10 cm, 1 m, 10 m, 100 m, and >1 km order scales, subject to field constraints. Assays were intended to represent a diversity of potential biomarker types (cell counting via nucleic acid staining and fluorescence microscopy, ATP quantification via luciferase luminescence, and relative DNA quantification with simple domain-level primers) rather a specific mission science target, and were selected to reduce laboratory overhead, require limited consumables, and allow rapid turnaround. All analytical work was performed in situ or in a field laboratory within a day's travel of the field sites unless otherwise noted. We have demonstrated the feasibility of performing ATP quantification and qPCR analysis in a field-based laboratory with single-day turnaround. The ATP assay was generally robust and reliable and required minimal field equipment and training to produce a large amount of useful data. DNA was successfully extracted from all samples, but the serial-batch nature of qPCR significantly limited the number of primers (hence classifications) and replicates that could be run in a single day. Fluorescence microscopy did not prove feasible under the same constraints, primarily due to the large number of person-hours required to view, analyze, and record results from the images; however, this could be mitigated with higher-quality imaging instruments and appropriate image analysis software.
format Other/Unknown Material
author Cullen, T.
Stevens,
Duca, Z.
Stockton, A.
Murukesan, G.
Rennie, V.
Cable, M. L.
Cullen, D.
Yin, C.
Cantrell, T.
Schwieterman, E.
McCaig, H.
Tan, G.
Kirby, J.
Gentry, D. M.
Geppert, W.
Jacobsen, M.
Chaudry, N.
Amador, E. S.
author_facet Cullen, T.
Stevens,
Duca, Z.
Stockton, A.
Murukesan, G.
Rennie, V.
Cable, M. L.
Cullen, D.
Yin, C.
Cantrell, T.
Schwieterman, E.
McCaig, H.
Tan, G.
Kirby, J.
Gentry, D. M.
Geppert, W.
Jacobsen, M.
Chaudry, N.
Amador, E. S.
author_sort Cullen, T.
title Lessons from Astrobiological Planetary Analogue Exploration in Iceland: Biomarker Assay Performance and Downselection
title_short Lessons from Astrobiological Planetary Analogue Exploration in Iceland: Biomarker Assay Performance and Downselection
title_full Lessons from Astrobiological Planetary Analogue Exploration in Iceland: Biomarker Assay Performance and Downselection
title_fullStr Lessons from Astrobiological Planetary Analogue Exploration in Iceland: Biomarker Assay Performance and Downselection
title_full_unstemmed Lessons from Astrobiological Planetary Analogue Exploration in Iceland: Biomarker Assay Performance and Downselection
title_sort lessons from astrobiological planetary analogue exploration in iceland: biomarker assay performance and downselection
publishDate 2017
url http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20170002413
op_coverage Unclassified, Unlimited, Publicly available
genre Iceland
genre_facet Iceland
op_source CASI
op_relation Document ID: 20170002413
http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20170002413
op_rights Copyright, Distribution as joint owner in the copyright
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