From Habitability to Bio-signatures: An Earth analogue and exploration study

Zentrum für Astronomie und Astrophysik

Alessandro Airo

AG: Prof. Dr. Dirk Schulze-Makuch

Astroparticle Colloquium 25.11.2016

Mars Hubble Space Telescope (May 2016)

Credit: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), J. Bell (ASU), and M. Wolff (Space Science Institute) Initially the belief of intelligent life on Mars was common.

Mars canals illustrated by astronomer Percival , 1898. First close-up images from Mars July 14th 1964

Mariner 4 spacecraft Flyby mission (NASA) Viking Landers (NASA 1975)

Carl Viking Landers (NASA 1975)

Digging for soil samples

Viking 1 NASA slogan: „Follow the water“ Subsurface water-ice close to the north pole

Phoenix Lander (May – Nov. 2008) Subsurface water-ice close to the north pole

Phoenix Lander (May – Nov. 2008) Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL) at Horowitz Crater Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL) Liquid water (brine) on Mars

Palikir Crater Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL) Liquid water (brine) on Mars

Palikir Crater Water Tracks Goldman Glacier basin, McMurdo Dry Valley, Antarctica

Levy 2012 Water Tracks Taylor Valley, Antarctica

Alex Rytel (Ohio State University) collects a soil sample next to a piezometer placed in a water track in the Goldman Glacier Basin near Lake Hoare, Taylor Valley. http://www.glaciers.pdx.edu/Thesis/Hughes/KellyHughes_webpage.html Water Tracks Taylor Valley, Antarctica

Levy et al. 2011

Alex Rytel (Ohio State University) collects a soil sample next to a piezometer placed in a water track in the Goldman Glacier Basin near Lake Hoare, Taylor Valley. http://www.glaciers.pdx.edu/Thesis/Hughes/KellyHughes_webpage.html Water Tracks Laboratory Studies HOME Project on Deliquescence Habitability Of Martian Are RSL habitable environments? Environments Planococcus halocryophilus in Mars simulation soils HOME Project Habitability Of Martian Environments

PI: Dirk Schulze-Makuch Atacama Desert: The driest place on Earth => Mars analog

Yungay fan Atacama Desert: The driest place on Earth and a Mars analog

Soil chemistry & sedimentology

* and A B B 0 m B B sampled is there life? B* excavated Sand A dike A*

Sand dike Gypsum polygon excavated

HOME Project Habitability Of Martian 1 m Environments Transect Transect Sand dike Gypsum polygon Atacama – Dry Limit of Life Project http://www-astro.physik.tu-berlin.de/Atacama-project

Principal Investigator: Dirk Schulze-Makuch (Technical University Berlin/Washington State University), Contact: [email protected];[email protected]

ERC HOME Group: Alfonso Davila (SETI/NASA Ames/TU Berlin) Jean-Pierre de Vera (DLR Berlin) Janosch Schirmack (TU Berlin) Jacob Heinz (TU Berlin)

Associated Research Groups: Michael Schloter (Helmholtz Center Munich)/Matthias Hess (University of California - Davis): Metagenomics, Viruses Phil Schmitt Kopplin (Helmholtz Center Munich): Metabolites, DOC Frank Keppler (University of Heidelberg, Germany): Chlorinated organics, Fe-isotopes Peter Grathwohl (University of Tübingen, Germany): PAHs, Organics Victor Parro (Centro de Astrobiologia, Spain): S and N isotopes, XRD, XPS Beate Schneider/Dirk Wagner: Genetics, Culturing Juri Rappsilber (TU Berlin): Proteomics Hans-Peter Grossart/Mark Gessner (IGB Stechlin, Germany): Genetics, Fungi Pedro Zamorano (Universidad de Antofagasta, Chile): Spores Markus Flury (Washington State Univ.)/Martin Kaupenjohann (TU Berlin): Soil properties Sam Kounaves (Tufts University, USA/Imperial College London, UK): Perchlorates/Geochemistry Lewis Dartnell (University College London, UK): Hypoliths, Raman, Radiation studies Jean-Pierre de Vera (DLR Berlin): Field parameters, Raman, Mars Simulation Chamber Runs Dirk Schulze-Makuch (TU Berlin/WSU): Biomass, PLFA , extra storage Special Advisors/Collaborators: Jocelyne DiRuggiero (John Hopkins University, USA), Kai Finster (University of Aarhus, Denmark), Chris McKay (NASA Ames, USA) Mars today

NASA slogan: „Follow the water“ Mars 4 Ga ago ?

NASA slogan: „Follow the water“ Valley networks

Naktong Vallis Delta crater – created by an impact 3.5 to 3.8 Ga ago Diameter: 154 km

Landing ellipse of the Curiosity rover First selfie on Mars

Curiosity rover NASA

MSL

Sedimentary ripple structures => flowing water Long-term habitable environment on Mars

Gale Crater (artistic reconstruction) Long-term habitable environment on Mars

Gale Crater (artistic reconstruction) “How do I look for Biosignatures on Mars?”

Should I look for Dinos?

MSL “How do I look for Biosignatures on Mars?”

Earth

Michalski et al. 2013 “How do I look for Biosignatures on Mars?”

Gale Crater Mars

Earth

Michalski et al. 2013 Biomat (Tunisia)

Biolaminite

~3,2 Ga Moodies Group, BGB Too „old“ for biomarkers to be preserved Tufts Gas domes

1cm Roll-up structures Shrinkage cracks “Rolled up” Mat Morphologies – An Indicator for Cohesiveness ?

Bahar Alouane, Tunisia © Heubeck

Bahar Alouane, Tunisia Heubeck “Rolled up” Mat Morphologies – An Indicator for Cohesiveness ?

Bahar Alouane, Tunisia © Heubeck

2.9 Ga old MISS Pongola Supergroup 5 cm 4 cm Africa Noffke et al. (2008)

Bahar Alouane, Tunisia Heubeck Tufts Tufts

Back to life in Berlin

First few minutes Back to life in Berlin

After a Few hours Biomats Thin section

Gas enclosure in tufts

Fossil tuft with silicified gas enclosure ? 1,5 cm ~3.2 Ga Moodies Group, Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa

Bahar Alouane, Tunisia Biology

Bioflumology

Sedimentary Flumology

Growth (~10 days) Growth (~2 months)

Streamers Cyanobacterial Streamers (Hot Spring, Nevada, USA) Cyanobacterial Streamers (Hot Spring, Nevada, USA) Biomats in Tidal Environments

Christof Sager

Low Tide Low Tide

Low Tide Low Tide

Supra-tidal Inter-tidal Sub-tidal Endo-benthic mat Endo/Epi-benthic mat Epi-benthic mat ~1 cm Gas-domes 2-6 cm Gas-domes <1 cm Gas-domes Low Tide

Migrating Gas-dome Low Tide

Bahar Alouane, Tunisia Low Tide

Bahar Alouane, Tunisia Low Tide

2 weeks of drying (different experiment) Low Tide

Fossil Gas-domes ?

Microbial Mats, Moodies Group (3,2Ga) (PhD Thesis Martin Homann) Biomat

Sea grass Biomat Mineral precipitation Sea grass Corals “This is as good as it gets for Prokarya.”

Biomat Microbialite Mineral precipitation Sea grass Corals Modern Microbialites (stromatolites) on Earth

Lago Sarmiento, Chile

Lago Sarmiento, Chile

Taking photos from above for 3D reconstructions

CT Light-limited Growth-morphology

Calm waters Sediment abrasion Shading Lab-Experiment Fossil

Nature Lab-Experiment Fossil

Modeling Nature Microbialite Growth Model Microbialite Growth Model Lago Sarmiento, Chile Optimal Growth Conditions Nutrient Limitation 30% 100%

Light Intensity 30% 10%

Microbialite Growth Model

Photosynthesis Efficiency Medium Low

Matthias Müller