Examinando por Autor "Rabbow, Elke"

Mostrando 1 - 7 de 7

Acceso Abierto
Biosignature stability in space enables their use for life detection on Mars
(Science Advances, 2022-09-07) Baqué, Mickael; Backhaus, Theresa; Meeßen, Joachim; Hanke, Franziska; Böttger, Ute; Ramkissoon, Nisha; Olsson-Francis, Karen; Baumgärtner, Michael; Billi, Daniela; Cassaro, Alessia; de la Torre Noetzel, Maria Rosa; Demets, René; Edwards, Howell; Ehrenfreund, P.; Elsaesser, Andreas; Foing, Bernard; Foucher, Frédéric; Huwe, Björn; Joshi, Jasmin; Kozyrovska, Natalia; Lasch, Peter; Lee, Natuschka; Leuko, Stefan; Onofri, Silvano; Ott, Sieglinde; Pacelli, Claudia; Rabbow, Elke; Rothschild, Lynn; Schulze Makuch, D.; Selbmann, Laura; Serrano, Paloma; Szewzyk, Ulrich; Verseux, Cyprien; Wagner, Dirk; Westall, Frances; Zucconi, Laura; De Vera, Jean Pierre; Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI); Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWi); Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR); Volkswagen Foundation; "Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
Two rover missions to Mars aim to detect biomolecules as a sign of extinct or extant life with, among other instruments, Raman spectrometers. However, there are many unknowns about the stability of Raman-detectable biomolecules in the martian environment, clouding the interpretation of the results. To quantify Raman-detectable biomolecule stability, we exposed seven biomolecules for 469 days to a simulated martian environment outside the International Space Station. Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) strongly changed the Raman spectra signals, but only minor change was observed when samples were shielded from UVR. These findings provide support for Mars mission operations searching for biosignatures in the subsurface. This experiment demonstrates the detectability of biomolecules by Raman spectroscopy in Mars regolith analogs after space exposure and lays the groundwork for a consolidated space-proven database of spectroscopy biosignatures in targeted environments.
Restringido
Detection of new biohints on lichens with Raman spectroscopy after space- and Mars like conditions exposure: Mission Ground Reference (MGR) samples
(Elsevier, 2021-11-15) López-Ramírez, Maria Rosa; Sancho García, Leopoldo; De Vera, Jean Pierre; Baqué, Mickael; Böttger, Ute; Rabbow, Elke; Martínez Frías, Jesús; de la Torre Noetzel, Maria Rosa; Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO)
The extremophile lichen Circinaria gyrosa (C. gyrosa) is one of the selected species within the BIOMEX (Biology and Mars Experiment) experiment. Here we present the Raman study of a biohint found in this lichen, called whewellite (calcium oxalate monohydrate), and other organic compounds and mineral products of the biological activity of the astrobiologically relevant model system C. gyrosa. Samples were exposed to space- and simulated Mars-like conditions during the EXPOSE-R2 mission parallel ground reference experiment MGR performed at the space- and planetary chambers of DLR-Cologne to study Mars’ habitability and resistance to real space conditions. In this work, we complete the information of natural C. gyrosa about the process of diagenesis by the identification of carbonate crystals in the inner medulla together with the biomineral whewellite. The analysis by Raman spectroscopy of simulated Space and Mars exposed samples confirm alterations and damages of the photobiont part of the lichen and changes related to the molecular structure of whewellite. The conclusions of this work will be important to understand what are the effects to consider when biological systems are exposed to space or Mars-like conditions and to expand our knowledge of how life survives in most extreme conditions that is a prerequisite in future planetary exploration projects.
Acceso Abierto
Future space experiment platforms for astrobiology and astrochemistry research
(npj Microgravity, 2023-06-12) Elsaesser, Andreas; Burr, David J.; Mabey, Paul; Urso, Riccardo Giovanni; Billi, Daniela; Cockell, Charles S.; Cottin, Hervé; Kish, Adrienne; Leys, Natalie; Van Loon, Jack J. W. A.; Mateo Marti, Eva; Moissl-Eichinger, Christine; Onofri, Silvano; Quinn, Richard C.; Rabbow, Elke; Rettberg, Petra; de la Torre Noetzel, Maria Rosa; Slenzka, Klaus; Ricco, Antonio J.; De Vera, Jean Pierre; Westall, Frances; European Space Agency (ESA)
Space experiments are a technically challenging but a scientifically important part of astrobiology and astrochemistry research. The International Space Station (ISS) is an excellent example of a highly successful and long-lasting research platform for experiments in space, that has provided a wealth of scientific data over the last two decades. However, future space platforms present new opportunities to conduct experiments with the potential to address key topics in astrobiology and astrochemistry. In this perspective, the European Space Agency (ESA) Topical Team Astrobiology and Astrochemistry (with feedback from the wider scientific community) identifies a number of key topics and summarizes the 2021 “ESA SciSpacE Science Community White Paper” for astrobiology and astrochemistry. We highlight recommendations for the development and implementation of future experiments, discuss types of in situ measurements, experimental parameters, exposure scenarios and orbits, and identify knowledge gaps and how to advance scientific utilization of future space-exposure platforms that are either currently under development or in an advanced planning stage. In addition to the ISS, these platforms include CubeSats and SmallSats, as well as larger platforms such as the Lunar Orbital Gateway. We also provide an outlook for in situ experiments on the Moon and Mars, and welcome new possibilities to support the search for exoplanets and potential biosignatures within and beyond our solar system.
Acceso Abierto
Impact of Simulated Martian Conditions on (Facultatively) Anaerobic Bacterial Strains from Different Mars Analogue Sites.
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2020-01-15) Beblo Vranesevic, K.; Bohmeier, M.; Schleumer, S.; Rabbow, Elke; Perras, A. K.; Moissl-Eichinger, Christine; Schwendner, P.; Cockell, Charles S.; Vannier, P.; Marteinsson, V. T.; Monaghan, E. P.; Riedo, A.; Ehrenfreund, P.; García Descalzo, L.; Gómez, Felipe; Malki, M.; Amils Pibernat, R.; Gaboyer, F.; Hickman-Lewis, K.; Westall, Frances; Cabezas, Patricia; Walter, N.; Rettberg, P.; Rettberg, P. [0000-0003-4439-2395]; García Descalzo, L. [0000-0002-0083-6786]; Cabezas, P. [0000-0002-6336-4093]; Marteinsson, V. [0000-0001-8340-821X]; Gómez, F. [0000-0001-9977-7060]
Five bacterial (facultatively) anaerobic strains, namely Buttiauxella sp. MASE-IM-9, Clostridium sp. MASE-IM-4, Halanaerobium sp. MASE-BB-1, Trichococcus sp. MASE-IM-5, and Yersinia intermedia MASE-LG-1 isolated from different extreme natural environments were subjected to Mars relevant environmental stress factors in the laboratory under controlled conditions. These stress factors encompassed low water activity, oxidizing compounds, and ionizing radiation. Stress tests were performed under permanently anoxic conditions. The survival rate after addition of sodium perchlorate (Na-perchlorate) was found to be species-specific. The inter-comparison of the five microorganisms revealed that Clostridium sp. MASE-IM-4 was the most sensitive strain (D-10-value (15 min, NaClO4) = 0.6 M). The most tolerant microorganism was Trichococcus sp. MASE-IM-5 with a calculated D-10-value (15 min, NaClO4) of 1.9 M. Cultivation in the presence of Na-perchlorate in Martian relevant concentrations up to 1 wt% led to the observation of chains of cells in all strains. Exposure to Na-perchlorate led to a lowering of the survival rate after desiccation. Consecutive exposure to desiccating conditions and ionizing radiation led to additive effects. Moreover, in a desiccated state, an enhanced radiation tolerance could be observed for the strains Clostridium sp. MASE-IM-4 and Trichococcus sp. MASE-IM-5. These data show that anaerobic micro-organisms from Mars analogue environments can resist a variety of Martian-simulated stresses either individually or in combination. However, responses were species-specific and some Mars-simulated extremes killed certain organisms. Thus, although Martian stresses would be expected to act differentially on microorganisms, none of the expected extremes tested here and found on Mars prevent the growth of anaerobic microorganisms.
Restringido
Lichen Vitality After a Space Flight on Board the EXPOSE-R2 Facility Outside the International Space Station: Results of the Biology and Mars Experiment
(Mary Ann Liebert, 2020-04-30) de la Torre Noetzel, Maria Rosa; Paul de Vera, Jean-Pierre; Ortega García, María Victoria; Miller, Ana Zélia; Bassy, O.; Granja, Carmen; Cubero, Beatriz; Jordão, Luisa; Martínez Frías, Jesús; Rabbow, Elke; Backhaus, Theresa; Ott, Sieglinde; García Sancho, Leopoldo
As part of the Biology and Mars Experiment (BIOMEX; ILSRA 2009-0834), samples of the lichen Circinaria gyrosa were placed on the exposure platform EXPOSE-R2, on the International Space Station (ISS) and exposed to space and to a Mars-simulated environment for 18 months (2014–2016) to study: (1) resistance to space and Mars-like conditions and (2) biomarkers for use in future space missions (Exo-Mars). When the experiment returned (June 2016), initial analysis showed rapid recovery of photosystem II activity in the samples exposed exclusively to space vacuum and a Mars-like atmosphere. Significantly reduced recovery levels were observed in Sun-exposed samples, and electron and fluorescence microscopy (transmission electron microscope and field emission scanning electron microscope) data indicated that this was attributable to the combined effects of space radiation and space vacuum, as unirradiated samples exhibited less marked morphological changes compared with Sun-exposed samples. Polymerase chain reaction analyses confirmed that there was DNA damage in lichen exposed to harsh space and Mars-like environmental conditions, with ultraviolet radiation combined with space vacuum causing the most damage. These findings contribute to the characterization of space- and Mars-resistant organisms that are relevant to Mars habitability.
Acceso Abierto
Limits of Life and the Habitability of Mars: The ESA Space Experiment BIOMEX on the ISS
(Mary Ann Liebert, 2019-02-11) De Vera, Jean Pierre; Alawi, Mashal; Backhaus, Theresa; Baqué, Mickael; Billi, Daniela; Böttger, Ute; Berger, T.; Bohmeier, M.; Cockell, Charles S.; Demets, René; de la Torre Noetzel, Maria Rosa; Edwards, Howell; Elsaesser, Andreas; Fagliarone, Claudia; Fiedler, Annelie; Foing, Bernard; Foucher, Frédéric; Fritz, Jörg; Hanke, Franziska; Herzog, Thomas; Horneck, Gerda; Hübers, Heinz-Wilhelm; Huwe, Björn; Joshi, Jasmin; Kozyrovska, Natalia; Kruchten, Martha; Lasch, Peter; Lee, Natuschka; Leuko, Stefan; Leya, Thomas; Lorek, Andreas; Martínez Frías, Jesús; Meessen, Joachim; Moritz, Sophie; Moeller, Ralf; Olsson-Francis, Karen; Onofri, Silvano; Ott, Sieglinde; Pacelli, Claudia; Podolich, Olga; Rabbow, Elke; Reitz, Günther; Rettberg, Petra; Reva, Oleg; Rothschild, Lynn; García Sancho, Leo; Schulze Makuch, D.; Selbmann, Laura; Serrano, Paloma; Szewzyk, Ulrich; Verseux, Cyprien; Wadsworth, Jennifer; Wagner, Dirk; Westall, Frances; Wolter, David; Zucconi, Laura; Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO); Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI); Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI); National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU); German Centre for Air and Space Travel; Helmholtz Association
BIOMEX (BIOlogy and Mars EXperiment) is an ESA/Roscosmos space exposure experiment housed within the exposure facility EXPOSE-R2 outside the Zvezda module on the International Space Station (ISS). The design of the multiuser facility supports—among others—the BIOMEX investigations into the stability and level of degradation of space-exposed biosignatures such as pigments, secondary metabolites, and cell surfaces in contact with a terrestrial and Mars analog mineral environment. In parallel, analysis on the viability of the investigated organisms has provided relevant data for evaluation of the habitability of Mars, for the limits of life, and for the likelihood of an interplanetary transfer of life (theory of lithopanspermia). In this project, lichens, archaea, bacteria, cyanobacteria, snow/permafrost algae, meristematic black fungi, and bryophytes from alpine and polar habitats were embedded, grown, and cultured on a mixture of martian and lunar regolith analogs or other terrestrial minerals. The organisms and regolith analogs and terrestrial mineral mixtures were then exposed to space and to simulated Mars-like conditions by way of the EXPOSE-R2 facility. In this special issue, we present the first set of data obtained in reference to our investigation into the habitability of Mars and limits of life. This project was initiated and implemented by the BIOMEX group, an international and interdisciplinary consortium of 30 institutes in 12 countries on 3 continents. Preflight tests for sample selection, results from ground-based simulation experiments, and the space experiments themselves are presented and include a complete overview of the scientific processes required for this space experiment and postflight analysis. The presented BIOMEX concept could be scaled up to future exposure experiments on the Moon and will serve as a pretest in low Earth orbit.
Acceso Abierto
Taxonomic and functional analyses of intact microbial communities thriving in extreme, astrobiology-relevant, anoxic sites
(Spring Nature Research Journals, 2021-02-18) Kristin Bashir, A.; Wink, L.; Duller, S.; Schwendner, P.; Cockell, Charles S.; Rettberg, P.; Mahnert, A.; Beblo Vranesevic, K.; Bohmeier, M.; Rabbow, Elke; Gaboyer, F.; Westall, Frances; Walter, N.; Cabezas, Patricia; García Descalzo, L.; Gómez, Felipe; Malki, M.; Amils Pibernat, R.; Ehrenfreund, P.; Monaghan, E. P.; Vannier, P.; Marteinsson, V. T.; Erlacher, A.; Tanski, G.; Strauss, J.; Bashir, M.; Riedo, A.; Moissl-Eichinger, Christine; European Commission (EC); Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF); Moissi Eichinger, C. [0000-0001-6755-6263]
Extreme terrestrial, analogue environments are widely used models to study the limits of life and to infer habitability of extraterrestrial settings. In contrast to Earth’s ecosystems, potential extraterrestrial biotopes are usually characterized by a lack of oxygen. In the MASE project (Mars Analogues for Space Exploration), we selected representative anoxic analogue environments (permafrost, salt-mine, acidic lake and river, sulfur springs) for the comprehensive analysis of their microbial communities. We assessed the microbiome profile of intact cells by propidium monoazide-based amplicon and shotgun metagenome sequencing, supplemented with an extensive cultivation effort. The information retrieved from microbiome analyses on the intact microbial community thriving in the MASE sites, together with the isolation of 31 model microorganisms and successful binning of 15 high-quality genomes allowed us to observe principle pathways, which pinpoint specific microbial functions in the MASE sites compared to moderate environments. The microorganisms were characterized by an impressive machinery to withstand physical and chemical pressures. All levels of our analyses revealed the strong and omnipresent dependency of the microbial communities on complex organic matter. Moreover, we identified an extremotolerant cosmopolitan group of 34 poly-extremophiles thriving in all sites. Our results reveal the presence of a core microbiome and microbial taxonomic similarities between saline and acidic anoxic environments. Our work further emphasizes the importance of the environmental, terrestrial parameters for the functionality of a microbial community, but also reveals a high proportion of living microorganisms in extreme environments with a high adaptation potential within habitability borders.