(CAB) Artículos

URI permanente para esta colecciónhttps://digitalpro.inta.es/handle/20.500.12666/7

Buscar

Suscribirse para recibir un correo electrónico cada vez que se introduzca un ítem en esta colección.

Mostrando 1 - 20 de 577

Restringido
Model Update and Surface Operation Performance of the MEDA-TIRS Radiometer Onboard NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover
(Springer Nature, 2025-07-14) Sebastián Martínez, Eduardo; Martínez, Germán M.; Smith, Michael; Peinado, V.; Mora Sotomayor, L.; Vicente Retortillo, Álvaro; Rodríguez Manfredi, J. A.; Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO); Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN); Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (España); Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737
We describe new updates in the data retrieval process of the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer Thermal-InfraRed Sensor (MEDA-TIRS) onboard NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover and analyze its performance under these new updates for the first 700 sols of this mission. The primary goal of these updates is to reduce the uncertainty in each of the quantities measured by TIRS, thereby improving its performance in measuring atmospheric and ground temperature, reflected shortwave solar radiation, and the upwelling and downwelling longwave irradiances across the entire spectrum. Our updates include results from new modeling efforts and tests conducted during the cruise and operational phase on Mars to characterize the electronic conditioning system and to calculate new noise and offset values. Based on the annual degradation rates of the TIRS channel detectors due to dust deposition, we compare projected values of resolution and accuracy to pre-flight requirements. These projections are useful for estimating the radiometer’s lifetime and for using its data in the context of the future Mars Sample Return and other future mission.
Acceso Abierto
Strong parameter hierarchy in the interstellar phosphorus chemical network
(Frontiers in Bioscience Publications, 2025-07-30) Marina, Fernández-Ruz; Jiménez-Serra, Izaskun; Castro, Mario; Ruiz-Bermejo, Marta; Aguirre, Jacobo; European Research Council (ERC); Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN); Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Phosphorus-bearing molecules are fundamental for life on Earth, yet their astrochemical origins remain poorly understood. Their formation in the interstellar medium has been challenging to elucidate due to limited spectroscopic detections and the reliance on theoretical models that depend on numerous kinetic parameters whose values are very uncertain. Multi-parameter models often suffer from “sloppiness”, where many parameter combinations exhibit negligible influence on model outcomes, while a few dominate system behavior. In this study, we introduce the Fisher Information Spectral Reduction (FISR) algorithm, a novel and computationally efficient method to reduce the complexity of such sloppy models. Our approach exposes the strong parameter hierarchy governing these systems by identifying and eliminating parameters associated with insensitive directions in the parameter space. Applying this methodology to the phosphorus astrochemistry network, we reduce the number of reaction rate coefficients from 14 to 3, pinpointing the key reactions and kinetic parameters responsible for forming PO and PN, the main phosphorus-bearing molecules typically detected in interstellar space. The simplified model retains its predictive accuracy, offering deeper insights into the mechanisms driving phosphorus chemistry in the interstellar medium. This methodology is applicable to multi-parameter models of any kind and, specifically in astrochemistry, facilitates the development of simpler, more realistic and interpretable models to effectively guide targeted observational efforts.
Acceso Abierto
Gypsophytes and the use of Martian Gypsum: A review of their potential for agriculture on Mars
(Elsevier BV, 2025-09-25) de Luis, Miguel; López-Pujol, Jordi; Mota, Juan Francisco; Merlo, Encarna; Álvarez-Jiménez, Julio; Aparicio Sánchez, Jose Ignacio; Bartolomé, Carmen; Ormö, Jens; Parro, Laura M.; Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN); Junta de Andalucía
Gypsophytes are plants that thrive on gypsum soils on Earth. They possess some adaptive traits that could constitute pre-adaptations to the conditions for potential cultivation in a controlled habitat on Mars. Martian agriculture should utilize substrates obtained directly from the planet itself. However, the detection of perchlorates in the soil of Mars raises doubts about this possibility. These molecules are distributed globally and in concentrations toxic to both humans and plants. The polar winds may preserve some Martian gypsum outcrops from the effects of perchlorates. If so, using this Martian gypsum as a growing substrate for gypsophytes may be a viable option. In the medium term, implementing gypsophyte adaptations on staple crops would also be possible using CRISPR-Cas9 and/or other gene-editing technologies. According to the literature reviewed, Gypsophila struthium subsp. struthium shows a high degree of colonization capacity and high resistance to drought. This taxon serves as an ecological facilitator for other species, and its germination appears to be favored by the presence of gypsum. Several experimental results suggest it would be worthwhile to test the cultivation of this and other plants on reliable simulants or Martian gypsum through sample return missions or on a mission that would perform the cultivation on Mars itself.
Acceso Abierto
Ejecta from the DART-produced active asteroid Dimorphos
(Springer Nature, 2023-03-01) Li, Jian Yang; Hirabayashi, Masatoshi; Farnham, Tony; Sunshine, Jessica; Knight, Matthew; Tancredi, Gonzalo; Moreno, Fernando; Murphy, Brian; Opitom, Cyrielle; Chesley, Steve; Scheeres, Daniel; Thomas, Cristina; Fahnestock, Eugene; Cheng, Andrew; Dressel, Linda; Ernst, Carolyn; Ferrari, Fabio; Fitzsimmons, Alan; Leva, Simone; Ivanovski, Stavro; Kareta, Theodore; Kolokolova, Ludmilla; Lister, Tim; Raducan, Sabina; Rivkin, Andrew; Rossi, Alessandro; Soldini, Stefania; Stickle, Angela; Vick, Alison; Vicent, Jean-Baptiste; Weaver, Harold; Bagnulo, Stefano; Bannister, Michele; Cambioni, Saverio; Campo Bagatin, Adriano; Chabot, Nancy; Cremonese, Gabriele; Daly, Terik; Dotto, Elisabetta; Glenar, David; Granvik, Mikael; Hasselmann, Pedro; Herreros, Isabel; Jacobson, Seth; Jutzi, Martín; Kohout, Tomas; La Forgia, Tomas; Lazzarin, Monica; Lin, Zhong Yi; Lolachi, Ramin; Lucchetti, Alice; Makadia, Rahil; Mazzotta Epifani, Elena; Michel, Patrick; Migliorini, Alessandra; Moskovitz, Nicholas; Ormö, Jens; Pajola, Maurizio; Sánchez, Paul; Schwartz, Stephen; Snodgrass, Colin; Steckloff, Jordan; Stubbs, Timothy; Trigo Rodríguez, Josep; Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI); Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación (ANII); Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences; Academy of Finland; Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737
Some active asteroids have been proposed to be formed as a result of impact events. Because active asteroids are generally discovered by chance only after their tails have fully formed, the process of how impact ejecta evolve into a tail has, to our knowledge, not been directly observed. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission of NASA, in addition to having successfully changed the orbital period of Dimorphos, demonstrated the activation process of an asteroid resulting from an impact under precisely known conditions. Here we report the observations of the DART impact ejecta with the Hubble Space Telescope from impact time T + 15 min to T + 18.5 days at spatial resolutions of around 2.1 km per pixel. Our observations reveal the complex evolution of the ejecta, which are first dominated by the gravitational interaction between the Didymos binary system and the ejected dust and subsequently by solar radiation pressure. The lowest-speed ejecta dispersed through a sustained tail that had a consistent morphology with previously observed asteroid tails thought to be produced by an impact. The evolution of the ejecta after the controlled impact experiment of DART thus provides a framework for understanding the fundamental mechanisms that act on asteroids disrupted by a natural impact.
Acceso Abierto
Morphology of ejecta features from the impact on asteroid Dimorphos
(Nature, 2025-02-14) Ferrari, Fabio; Panicucci, Paolo; Merisio, Gianmario; Pugliatti, Mattia; Li, Jian Yang; Fahnestock, Eugene; Raducan, Sabina; Jutzi, Martín; Soldini, Stefania; Hirabayashi, Masatoshi; Merrill, Colby; Michel, Patrick; Moreno, Fernando; Tancredi, Gonzalo; Sunshine, Jessica; Ormö, Jens; Herreros, Isabel; Agrusa, Harrison; Karatekin, Ozgur; Zhang, Yun; Chabot, Nancy; Cheng, Andrew; Richardson, Derek; Rivkin, Andrew; Campo Bagati, Adriano; Farnham, Tony; Ivanovski, Stavro; Lucchetti, Alice; Pajola, Maurizio; Rossi, Alessandro; Scheeres, Daniel; Tusberti, Filippo; National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); European Research Council (ERC); Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF); Centre National D'Etudes Spatiales (CNES); Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI); Agencia Nacional de Investigacíon e Innovacíon (ANII); Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC); Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI)
Hypervelocity impacts play a significant role in the evolution of asteroids, causing material to be ejected and partially reaccreted. However, the dynamics and evolution of ejected material in a binary asteroid system have never been observed directly. Observations of Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) impact on asteroid Dimorphos have revealed features on a scale of thousands of kilometers, including curved ejecta streams and a tail bifurcation originating from the Didymos system. Here we show that these features result naturally from the dynamical interaction of the ejecta with the binary system and solar radiation pressure. These mechanisms may be used to constrain the orbit of a secondary body, or to investigate the binary nature of an asteroid. Also, they may reveal breakup or fission events in active asteroids, and help determine the asteroid’s properties following an impact event. In the case of DART, our findings suggest that Dimorphos is a very weak, rubble-pile asteroid, with an ejecta mass estimated to be in the range of (1.1-5.5)×107 kg.
Restringido
Effect of Target Layering in Gravity-Dominated Cratering in Nature, Experiments, and Numerical Simulations
(AGU Publishing, 2024-04-26) Ormö, Jens; Raducan, S. D.; Housen, K. R.; Wünnemann, K.; Collins, Gareth; Rossi, Angelo Pio; Melero-Asensio, Irene; Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC); Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI); European Research Council (ERC); Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737
Impacts into layered targets may generate “concentric craters” where a wider outer crater in the top layer surrounds a smaller, nested crater in the basement, which itself may be complex or simple. The influence of target on cratering depends on the ratio of target strength to lithostatic stress, which, in turn, is affected by gravity, target density, and crater diameter. When this ratio is large, the crater size is primarily determined by target strength, whereas gravitational forces dominate when the ratio is small. In two-layer targets, strength may dominate in one or both layers, whereby the outer crater develops in the weaker top layer and the nested crater in the stronger substrate. However, large natural craters that should be gravity-dominated in both cover strata and substrate may be concentric, the reasons for which are not yet fully understood. We performed qualitative impact experiments at 10–502 G and 1.8 km/s with the Boeing Corp. Hypervelocity centrifuge gun, and at 1 G and 0.4 km/s with the CAB CSIC-INTA gas gun into layered sand targets of different compositions and grain densities but similar granulometry to analyze gravity-dominated cratering. The results are compared with iSALE-2D numerical simulations and natural craters on Earth and Mars. We show that target layering also affects the excavation process and concentric crater formation in gravity-dominated impacts. The most important factors are the density and internal friction of each target layer, respectively. We propose that this is also valid for natural craters of sizes that should make their formation gravity-dominated.
Acceso Abierto
Successful kinetic impact into an asteroid for planetary defence
(Springer, 2023-03-01) Terik Dalay, Ronald; Ernst, Carolyn; Barnouin, Oliver; Chabot, Nancy; Rivkin, Andrew; Cheng, Andrew; Adams, Elena; Agrusa, Harrison; Abdel, Elisabeth; Alford, Amy; Asphaug, Erik; Atchison, Justin; Badger, Andrew; Baki, Paul; Ballouz, Ronald; Bekker, Dmitriy; Bellerose, Julie; Bhaskaran, Shyam; Buratti, Bonnie; Cambioni, Saverio; Chen, Michelle; Chesley, Steven; Chiu, George; Collins, Gareth; Cox, Matthew; DeCoster, Mallory; Ericksen, Peter; Espiritu, Raymond; Faber, Alan; Farnham, Tony; Ferrari, Fabio; Fletcher, Zachary; Gaskell, Robert; Graninger, Dawn; Haque, Musad; Harrington Duff, Alicia; Hefter, Sarah; Herreros, Isabel; Hirabayashi, Masatoshi; Huang, Philip; Hsieh, Syau Yun; Jacobson, Seth; Jenkins, Stephen; Jensenius, Mark; John, Jeremy; Jutzi, Martin; Kohout, Tomas; Krueger, Timothy; Laipert, Frank; López, Norberto; Luther, Robert; Lucchetti, Alice; Mages, Declan; Marchi, Simone; Martín, Anna; McQuaide, Marie; Michel, Patrick; Moskovitz, Nicholas; Murphy, Ian; Murdoch, Naomi; Naidu, Shantanu; Nair, Hari; Nolan, Michael; Ormö, Jens; Pajola, Maurizio; Palmer, Eric; Peachey, James; Pravec, Petr; Raducan, Sabina; Ramesh, K. T.; Ramirez, Joshua; Reynolds, Edward; Richman, Joshua; Robin, Colas; Rodríguez, Luis; Roufberg, Lew; Rush, Brian; Sawyer, Carolyn; Scheeres, Daniel; Scheirich, Petr; Schwartz, Stephen; Shannon, Matthew; Shapiro, Brett; Shearer, Caitlin; Smith, Eva; Steele, Joshua; Steckloff, Jordan; Stickle, Angela; Sunshine, Jessica; Superfin, Emil; Tarzi, Zahi; Thomas, Cristina; Thomas, Justin; Trigo Rodríguez, Josep M.; Tropf, Teresa; Vaughan, Andrew; Velez, Dianna; Waller, Dany; Wilson, Daniel; Wortman, Kristin; Zhang, Yun; Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF); European Commission (EC); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES); Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI); Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737
Although no known asteroid poses a threat to Earth for at least the next century, the catalogue of near-Earth asteroids is incomplete for objects whose impacts would produce regional devastation. Several approaches have been proposed to potentially prevent an asteroid impact with Earth by deflecting or disrupting an asteroid. A test of kinetic impact technology was identified as the highest-priority space mission related to asteroid mitigation. NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission is a full-scale test of kinetic impact technology. The mission’s target asteroid was Dimorphos, the secondary member of the S-type binary near-Earth asteroid (65803) Didymos. This binary asteroid system was chosen to enable ground-based telescopes to quantify the asteroid deflection caused by the impact of the DART spacecraft. Although past missions have utilized impactors to investigate the properties of small bodies, those earlier missions were not intended to deflect their targets and did not achieve measurable deflections. Here we report the DART spacecraft’s autonomous kinetic impact into Dimorphos and reconstruct the impact event, including the timeline leading to impact, the location and nature of the DART impact site, and the size and shape of Dimorphos. The successful impact of the DART spacecraft with Dimorphos and the resulting change in the orbit of Dimorphos demonstrates that kinetic impactor technology is a viable technique to potentially defend Earth if necessary.
Acceso Abierto
Boulder exhumation and segregation by impacts on rubble-pile asteroids
(Elsevier, 2022-07-21) Ormö, Jens; Raducan, Sabina D.; Jutzi, Martin; Herreros, Isabel; Luther, Robert; Collins, Gareth S.; Wünnemann, Kai; Mora Rueda, Marcos; Hamann, C.; European Commission; Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737
Small asteroids are often considered to be rubble-pile objects, and such asteroids may be the most likely type of Near Earth Objects (NEOs) to pose a threat to Earth. However, impact cratering on such bodies is complex and not yet understood. We perform three low-velocity (≈ 400 m/s) impact experiments in granular targets with and without projectile-size boulders. We conducted SPH simulations that closely reproduced the impact experiments. Our results suggest that cratering on heterogeneous targets displaces and ejects boulders, rather than fragmenting them, unless directly hit. We also see indications that as long as the energy required to disrupt the boulder is small compared to the kinetic energy of the impact, the disruption of boulders directly hit by the projectile may have minimal effect on the crater size. The presence of boulders within the target causes ejecta curtains with higher ejection angles compared to homogeneous targets. At the same time, there is a segregation of the fine ejecta from the boulders, resulting in boulders landing at larger distances than the surrounding fine grained material. However, boulders located in the target near the maximum extent of the expanding excavation cavity are merely exhumed and distributed radially around the crater rim, forming ring patterns similar to the ones observed on asteroids Itokawa, Ryugu and Bennu. Altogether, on rubble-pile asteroids this process will redistribute boulders and finer-grained material heterogeneously, both areally around the crater and vertically in the regolith. In the context of a kinetic impactor on a rubble-pile asteroid and the DART mission, our results indicate that the presence of boulders will reduce the momentum transfer compared to a homogeneous, fine-grained target.
Acceso Abierto
The Proximal Ejecta Around the Marine-Target Lockne Impact Structure, Sweden
(American Geophysical Union, 2023-07) Sturkell, Erik; Ormö, Jens; Austin Hegardt, Eric; Stockmann, Gabrielle; Meland, Erik; Wikström, Torbjörn
Very few impact craters on Earth have preserved proximal ejecta (ejecta blanket), which when present help us to better understand the cratering processes when asteroid hits Earth. The 458 Ma old Lockne impact structure consists of a 7.5-km wide nested crater in the crystalline basement surrounded by an approximately 3-km wide brim developed in the upper sedimentary target. The asteroid struck a marine environment with 500 m sea water, 50-m lithified limestone, and 30 m of Cambrian clay covering a peneplainized crystalline basement. The transient crater that developed in rock and water obtained a “soup-plate” shape and reached about 7 km from the impact crater center, the farthest on the down-range side. The brim of the soup-plate was partially stripped of Ordovician limestone and water before the emplacement of inner impact crater ejecta. Most of the ejecta rest upon the Cambrian clay (today shale). The asteroid struck obliquely from the east, which is reflected in the ejecta distribution. The proximal ejecta field is divided into two crescent-shaped areas to the northwest and southwest of the nested crater and covers 26 km2. Resistivity profiles, mapping, and core drilling show that the thickness of the ejecta masses range between 30 and 50 m with a total volume of about 1 km3. They were not re-worked by the resurge. They represent roughly 26 vol% of the calculated excavated volume of crystalline rocks. Thus, it can be concluded that the Lockne impact crater has a well-preserved ejecta blanket.
Restringido
Background levels of methane in Mars’ atmosphere show strong seasonal variations
(Science, 2018-06-08) Webster, Christopher R.; Mahaffy, Paul R.; Atreya, Sushil K.; Moores, John E.; Flesch, Gregory J.; Malespin, Charles A.; McKay, Christopher P.; Martínez, Germán M.; Smith, Christina L.; Martín Torres, Javier; Gómez Elvira, J.; Zorzano, María-Paz; Wong, Michael H.; Trainer, Melissa G.; Steele, Andrew; Archer, Doug; Sutter, Brad; Coll, Patrice J.; Freissinet, Caroline; Meslin, Pierre-Yves; Gough, Raina V.; House, Christopher H.; Pavlov, Alexander; Eigenbrode, Jennifer L.; Glavin, Daniel P.; Pearson, John C.; Keymeulen, Didier; Christensen, Lance E.; Schwenzer, Susanne P.; Navarro González, R.; Pla García, J.; Rafkin, Scot C. R.; Vicente Retortillo, Álvaro; Kahanpää, H.; Viúdez Moreiras, Daniel; Smith, Michael D.; Harri, Ari-Matti; Genzer, María; Hassler, Donald M.; Lemmon, M. T.; Crisp, Joy; Sander, Stanley P.; Zurek, Richard W.; Vasavada, Ashwin R.; National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Variable levels of methane in the martian atmosphere have eluded explanation partly because the measurements are not repeatable in time or location. We report in situ measurements at Gale crater made over a 5-year period by the Tunable Laser Spectrometer on the Curiosity rover. The background levels of methane have a mean value 0.41 ± 0.16 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) (95% confidence interval) and exhibit a strong, repeatable seasonal variation (0.24 to 0.65 ppbv). This variation is greater than that predicted from either ultraviolet degradation of impact-delivered organics on the surface or from the annual surface pressure cycle. The large seasonal variation in the background and occurrences of higher temporary spikes (~7 ppbv) are consistent with small localized sources of methane released from martian surface or subsurface reservoirs.
Acceso Abierto
Freeze Substitution Accelerated via Agitation: New Prospects for Ultrastructural Studies of Lichen Symbionts and Their Extracellular Matrix
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2023-11-30) Reipert, Siegfried; Gruber, Daniela; Cyran, Norbert; Schmidt, Brigitte; de la Torre Noetzel, Maria Rosa; García Sancho, Leopoldo; Goga, Michal; Bačkor, Martin; Schmidt, Katy; Slovak Research and Development Agency; Slovak Grant Agency KEGA; Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN); Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI)
settingsOrder Article Reprints Open AccessArticle Freeze Substitution Accelerated via Agitation: New Prospects for Ultrastructural Studies of Lichen Symbionts and Their Extracellular Matrix by Siegfried Reipert 1,*ORCID,Daniela Gruber 1,Norbert Cyran 1,Brigitte Schmidt 1,Rosa de la Torre Noetzel 2,Leopoldo G. Sancho 3ORCID,Michal Goga 4,Martin Bačkor 4,5ORCID andKaty Schmidt 1 1 Cell Imaging and Ultrastructural Research, University of Vienna, A-1030 Vienna, Austria 2 Department of Earth Observation, National Institute for Aerospace Technology, 28850 Madrid, Spain 3 Section of Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, University Complutense Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain 4 Institute of Biology and Ecology, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia 5 Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Slovak University of Agriculture, 949 76 Nitra, Slovakia * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Plants 2023, 12(23), 4039; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12234039 Submission received: 21 October 2023 / Revised: 22 November 2023 / Accepted: 27 November 2023 / Published: 30 November 2023 (This article belongs to the Special Issue Microscopy Techniques in Plant Studies) Downloadkeyboard_arrow_down Browse Figures Versions Notes Abstract (1) Background: Lichens, as an important part of the terrestrial ecosystem, attract the attention of various research disciplines. To elucidate their ultrastructure, transmission electron microscopy of resin-embedded samples is indispensable. Since most observations of lichen samples are generated via chemical fixation and processing at room temperature, they lack the rapid immobilization of live processes and are prone to preparation artefacts. To improve their preservation, cryoprocessing was tested in the past, but never widely implemented, not least because of an extremely lengthy protocol. (2) Methods: Here, we introduce an accelerated automated freeze substitution protocol with continuous agitation. Using the example of three lichen species, we demonstrate the preservation of the native state of algal photobionts and mycobionts in association with their extracellular matrix. (3) Results: We bring to attention the extent and the structural variability of the hyphae, the extracellular matrix and numerous crystallized metabolites. Our findings will encourage studies on transformation processes related to the compartmentation of lichen thalli. They include cryopreserved aspects of algal photobionts and observations of putative physiological relevance, such as the arrangement of numerous mitochondria within chloroplast pockets. (4) Conclusions: In summary, we present accelerated freeze substitution as a very useful tool for systematic studies of lichen ultrastructures.
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.
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
Airborne Bacterial Community Composition According to Their Origin in Tenerife, Canary Islands
(Frontiers Media, 2021-10-14) González Martín, Cristina; Pérez González, Carlos J.; González Toril, Elena; Expósito, Francisco Javier; Aguilera, Ángeles; Díaz, Juan P.; Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI); European Commission (EC); Cabildo de Gran Canaria; Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico (MITECO)
Microorganisms are ubiquitous in the environment, and the atmosphere is no exception. However, airborne bacterial communities are some of the least studied. Increasing our knowledge about these communities and how environmental factors shape them is key to understanding disease outbreaks and transmission routes. We describe airborne bacterial communities at two different sites in Tenerife, La Laguna (urban, 600 m.a.s.l.) and Izaña (high mountain, 2,400 m.a.s.l.), and how they change throughout the year. Illumina MiSeq sequencing was used to target 16S rRNA genes in 293 samples. Results indicated a predominance of Proteobacteria at both sites (>65%), followed by Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes. Gammaproteobacteria were the most frequent within the Proteobacteria phylum during spring and winter, while Alphaproteobacteria dominated in the fall and summer. Within the 519 genera identified, Cellvibrio was the most frequent during spring (35.75%) and winter (30.73%); Limnobacter (24.49%) and Blastomonas (19.88%) dominated in the summer; and Sediminibacterium represented 10.26 and 12.41% of fall and winter samples, respectively. Sphingomonas was also identified in 17.15% of the fall samples. These five genera were more abundant at the high mountain site, while other common airborne bacteria were more frequent at the urban site (Kocuria, Delftia, Mesorhizobium, and Methylobacterium). Diversity values showed different patterns for both sites, with higher values during the cooler seasons in Izaña, whereas the opposite was observed in La Laguna. Regarding wind back trajectories, Tropical air masses were significantly different from African ones at both sites, showing the highest diversity and characterized by genera regularly associated with humans (Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, and Cloacibacterium), as well as others related to extreme conditions (Alicyclobacillus) or typically associated with animals (Lachnospiraceae). Marine and African air masses were consistent and very similar in their microbial composition. By contrast, European trajectories were dominated by Cellvibrio, Pseudomonas, Pseudoxanthomonas, and Sediminibacterium. These data contribute to our current state of knowledge in the field of atmospheric microbiology. However, future studies are needed to increase our understanding of the influence of different environmental factors on atmospheric microbial dispersion and the potential impact of airborne microorganisms on ecosystems and public health.
Restringido
Metagenomic and metabolic analyses of poly-extreme microbiome from an active crater volcano lake
(Elsevier, 2022-01) Peña Ocaña, Betsy Anaid; Ovando Ovando, César Ivan; Puente Sánchez, Fernando; Tamames, Javier; Servín Garcidueñas, Luis Eduardo; González Toril, Elena; Gutiérrez Sarmiento, Wilbert; Jasso Chávez, Ricardo; Ruíz Valdiviezo, Víctor Manuel
El Chichón volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in Mexico. Previous studies have described its poly-extreme conditions and its bacterial composition, although the functional features of the complete microbiome have not been characterized yet. By using metabarcoding analysis, metagenomics, metabolomics and enzymology techniques, the microbiome of the crater lake was characterized in this study. New information is provided on the taxonomic and functional diversity of the representative Archaea phyla, Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota, as well as those that are representative of Bacteria, Thermotogales and Aquificae. With culture of microbial consortia and with the genetic information collected from the natural environment sampling, metabolic interactions were identified between prokaryotes, which can withstand multiple extreme conditions. The existence of a close relationship between the biogeochemical cycles of carbon and sulfur in an active volcano has been proposed, while the relationship in the energy metabolism of thermoacidophilic bacteria and archaea in this multi-extreme environment was biochemically revealed for the first time. These findings contribute towards understanding microbial metabolism under extreme conditions, and provide potential knowledge pertaining to "microbial dark matter", which can be applied to biotechnological processes and evolutionary studies.
Acceso Abierto
Ecological degradation of a fragile semi-arid wetland and the implications in its microbial community: The case study of Las Tablas de Daimiel National Park (Spain)
(Elsevier, 2024-05-10) Santofimia, Esther; González Toril, Elena; De Diego Castilla, Graciela; Rincón-Tomás, Blanca; Aguilera, Á.; Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI); European Commission (EC); Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente
Las Tablas de Daimiel National Park (TDNP, Iberian Peninsula) is a semi-arid wetland of international significance for waterfowl and serves as a migratory route for various bird species. However, TDNP presents strong anthropization and fluctuating water levels, making it a highly fragile ecosystem. Water physico-chemical parameters and microbial diversity of the three domains (Bacteria-Archaea- Eukarya) were analysed in Zone A and Zone B of the wetland (a total of eight stations) during spring and summer, aiming to determine how seasonal changes influence the water quality, trophic status and ultimately, the microbial community composition. Additionally, Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) was used to determine the trophic status instead of transparency using Secchi disk, setting the threshold to 20–40 μmol/sm2 for benthic vegetation growth. In spring, both zones of the wetland were considered eutrophic, and physico-chemical parameters as well as microbial diversity were similar to other wetlands, with most abundant bacteria affiliated to Actinobacteriota, Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidota, Gammaproteobacteria and Verrumicrobiota. Methane-related taxa like Methanosarcinales and photosynthetic Chlorophyta were respectively the most representative archaeal and eukaryotic groups. In summer, phytoplankton bloom led by an unclassified Cyanobacteria and mainly alga Hydrodictyon was observed in Zone A, resulting in an increase of turbidity, pH, phosphorus, nitrogen, chlorophyll-a and phycocyanin indicating the change to hypertrophic state. Microbial community composition was geographical and seasonal shaped within the wetland as response to changes in trophic status. Archaeal diversity decreases and methane-related species increase due to sediment disturbance driven by fish activity, wind, and substantial water depth reduction. Zone B in summer suffers less seasonal changes, maintaining the eutrophic state and still detecting macrophyte growth in some stations. This study provides a new understanding of the interdomain microbial adaptation following the ecological evolution of the wetland, which is crucial to knowing these systems that are ecological niches with high environmental value.
Restringido
Metagenomic analysis of the microbial community at the Riutort oil shale mine (NE Spain): Potential applications in bioremediation and enhanced oil recovery
(Elsevier, 2023-10-10) González Toril, Elena; Permanyer, Albert; Gallego, José R.; Márquez, Gonzalo; Lorenzo, Erica; Aguilera, Á.; Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN); Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO); Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI)
Preservation of the environment of the Riutort oil shale mine for more than a century has favored the presence of a paradigmatic ecosystem of oil-degrading microorganisms. After extensive sampling and analysis by 16S rRNA sequencing, a marked prokaryotic community comprising diverse groups of bacteria (genus such as Methylobacter, Thiothrix, and Desulfobacca) and archaea (e.g., Methanobrevibacter genus) with hydrocarbon-degrading activity was found. Aerobic microorganisms were predominant in several samples but facultative microorganisms were also present, and there was an interesting transition to strict anaerobic conditions in some areas. One of the samples contained oil degrading aerobic bacteria such as Pseudomonas spp. and Brevundimonas spp. Of the microbes studied, we conducted a laboratory assessment of the capacity of this specific consortium for bioremediation of petroleum-polluted soil and microbial enhanced oil recovery processes. To this end, we used oily sludge-contaminated soil from La Libertad Refinery and cores from the Ancón Field, respectively, both sites in southwestern Ecuador. The Riutort consortium degraded 50.8% of total petroleum hydrocarbons, 64.2% of saturates, 41.3% of aromatics, and 37.4% of polar compounds after a 60-day incubation using oily sludge as the sole source of carbon. The performance of this consortium reflects its notable potential for bioremediation purposes. In turn, flooding with the natural Riutort consortium and its metabolites achieved a 7.2% (v/v) incremental recovery of crude oil through a sand-pack assay. These results are comparable to those reported using synthetic bacterial consortia, and thus reveal the great interest of the study seepages, not only for understanding microbial activities in oil degradation but also their use in biotechnological applications.
Acceso Abierto
Detecting Nonvolatile Life- and Nonlife-Derived Organics in a Carbonaceous Chondrite Analogue with a New Multiplex Immunoassay and Its Relevance for Planetary Exploration
(Mary Ann Liebert, 2018-08-01) Parro, Víctor; Moreno Paz, Mercedes; Gómez Cifuentes, Ana; Ruiz-Bermejo, Marta; Hofstetter, Oliver; Maquieira, Ángel; Manchado, J. M.; Morais, Sergi; Sephton, Mark A.; Niessner, Reinhard; Knopp, Dietmar; Zorzano, María-Paz; Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA); Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO)
Potential martian molecular targets include those supplied by meteoritic carbonaceous chondrites such as amino acids and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and true biomarkers stemming from any hypothetical martian biota (organic architectures that can be directly related to once-living organisms). Heat extraction and pyrolysis-based methods currently used in planetary exploration are highly aggressive and very often modify the target molecules, making their identification a cumbersome task. We have developed and validated a mild, nondestructive, multiplex inhibitory microarray immunoassay and demonstrated its implementation in the SOLID (Signs of Life Detector) instrument for simultaneous detection of several nonvolatile life- and nonlife-derived organic molecules relevant in planetary exploration and environmental monitoring. By utilizing a set of highly specific antibodies that recognize D- or L-aromatic amino acids (Phe, Tyr, Trp), benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), pentachlorophenol, and sulfone-containing aromatic compounds, respectively, the assay was validated in the SOLID instrument for the analysis of carbon-rich samples used as analogues of the organic material in carbonaceous chondrites or even Mars samples. Most of the antibodies enabled sensitivities at the 1–10 ppb level and some even at the part-per-trillion level. The multiplex immunoassay allowed the detection of B[a]P as well as aromatic sulfones in a water/methanol extract of an Early Cretaceous lignite sample (ca. 140 Ma) representing type IV kerogen. No L- or D-aromatic amino acids were detected, reflecting the advanced diagenetic stage and the fossil nature of the sample. The results demonstrate the ability of the liquid extraction by ultrasonication and the versatility of the multiplex inhibitory immunoassays in the SOLID instrument to discriminate between organic matter derived from life and nonlife processes, an essential step toward life detection outside Earth.

Buscar

Envíos recientes