Journal
ELECTROPHORESIS
Volume 42, Issue 19, Pages 1956-1964Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/elps.202100134
Keywords
Astrobiology; Biosignatures; Carboxylic acids; Contactless conductivity detection; High salinity samples
Funding
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Planetary Instrument Concepts for the Advancement of Solar System Observations (PICASSO) Program
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The developed method enables the detection of metabolically relevant inorganic and organic anions, separating over 21 relevant anions in less than 20 minutes and showing robustness to high concentrations of background salts, making it suitable for future missions to ocean worlds.
In situ missions of exploration require analytical methods that are capable of detecting a wide range of molecular targets in complex matrices without a priori assumptions of sample composition. Furthermore, these methods should minimize the number of reagents needed and any sample preparation steps. We have developed a method for the detection of metabolically relevant inorganic and organic anions that is suitable for implementation on in situ spaceflight missions. Using 55 mM acetic acid, 50 mM triethylamine, and 5% glycerol, more than 21 relevant anions are separated in less than 20 min. The method is robust to sample ionic strength, tolerating high concentrations of background salts (up to 900 mM NaCl and 300 mM MgSO4). This is an important feature for future missions to ocean worlds. The method was validated using a culture of Escherichia coli and with high salinity natural samples collected from Mono Lake, California.
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