NASA scientists have developed a new chemical analysis that could help the search for life on exoplanets – its principle is based on identifying the presence of amino acids, the compounds that make up proteins and the building blocks of life. The experiment is based on the use of the method of capillary electrophoresis, which promotes the separation of a mixture of organic molecules into its components.
The new formula was developed by scientists from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in the United States. It enables analysis of amino acids, the building blocks of all life on Earth. It turned out that this method is 10,000 times more sensitive than the existing modern methods that the Curiosity mariner currently uses.
Capillary electrophoresis, which was discovered in the early 1980s, will be the first to be used specifically to detect extraterrestrial life, according to Jessica Kremer, a scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
As part of the experiment, the researchers tested this method for the analysis of amino acids in the salty waters of Lake Mono in California. The exceptionally high alkaline content of this lake makes it a difficult place to live and an excellent backup for the salty waters believed to be on Mars, Saturn's moon Enceladus or Jupiter's moon Europa.
Sources: dniindia
