Scientists have developed a portable device to search for extraterrestrial life

Miscellaneous / by admin / June 27, 2022

It can find organic molecules directly in rocks from a distance of several meters.

Scientists believe that our first encounter with extraterrestrial life is likely to look very different from what is usually shown in the movies. One of the most likely scenarios is the discovery of tiny fossils in rocks from other planets. To do this, engineers from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa have developed a portable device called the Biofinder.

Image: University of Hawaii at Manoa

This apparatus is capable of isolating organic remains in fossils tens of millions of years old. And if you take Biofinder on board the next rover, it can significantly speed up the detection of traces of extraterrestrial life.

Biofinder shines through fossils with a special laser and activates fluorescence in all organic materials: amino acids, proteins, lipids and microbes. The results are recorded on video in real time at 20 frames per second, which allows you to literally scan the rocks on the go.

Image: University of Hawaii at Manoa

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The technology of fixing fluorescent signals of various ranges is not something new or revolutionary, but all previously used tools were not as compact as biofinder.

Biofinder is the first system of its kind. Currently, there is no other equipment that can detect the smallest particles of biological residues in the stone during the daytime. Additional advantages of Biofinder are that it works from a distance of several meters, shoots video and can quickly scan a large area.

Anupam Mishra

lead instrument developer and study co-author

In his researchBiofinder detects biological remains in Green River fish fossils from Eocene epoch at video speed development team tested Biofinder on a series of fish fossils ranging from 34 to 56 million years old. The instrument successfully captured biological residues in the samples, which was confirmed by analysis using larger laboratory equipment.

There are some unknowns as to how quickly biological remains are replaced by minerals during the fossilization process. However, our results further confirm that biological remains can persist for millions of years, and that the use of biofluorescence imaging allows efficient real-time detection of these traces time.

Anupam Mishra

This ability could have some pretty important uses, including the discovery of alien life, scientists say. Mars rovers such as Curiosity and Perseverance, have found plenty of evidence that Mars was once potentially habitable, but so far have not been able to find any direct signs of life in the past or present. And here Biofinder would be most welcome.

A team of scientists is currently applying to NASA to consider using the Biofinder for future missions.