Infrared spectroscopic biosignatures from hidden cave, New Mexico: possible applications for remote life detection
Preston, Louisa and Melim, L.A. and Polyak, V.J. and Asmerom, Y. and Southam, G. (2014) Infrared spectroscopic biosignatures from hidden cave, New Mexico: possible applications for remote life detection. Geomicrobiology Journal 31 (10), pp. 929-941. ISSN 0149-0451.
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Abstract
Subsurface environments are known to support and preserve diverse microbial communities. Giant pool fingers from Hidden Cave, New Mexico consist of mm-scale dark micritic calcite layers alternating with clear dogtooth spar crystals and contain morphological and geochemical evidence of past microbial communities. We used Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy to identify fatty acids, proteins, PO2-carrying compounds, and polysaccharides spatially related to morphological fossil filaments throughout the surface micritic laminations and central pool finger regions. These biomolecular signatures are important components that contribute to the biosignature suite under development that identify microbial involvement in carbonate precipitation on Earth and remotely.
Metadata
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Keyword(s) / Subject(s): | biosignatures, caves, life detection, spectroscopy |
| School: | Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Science > School of Natural Sciences |
| Depositing User: | Louisa Preston |
| Date Deposited: | 02 Sep 2016 14:09 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Aug 2023 17:25 |
| URI: | https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/15858 |
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