Molecular detection of life on Mars and terrestrial Mars analogues

Supervisor:Susana Direito / Wilfred Röling (room M220)

Mars is a planet with a strong potential for life, since Mars is very near and similar to Earth and is formed from the same starting materials. In fact, early Mars may have had conditions suitable for sustaining life, since it was much wetter and warmer than it is today. Modern Mars is quite cold, dry, with high UV radiation and strongly oxidizing conditions. Current Mars conditions seem hostile to life and biomarkers, but even so, life forms could have survived in the subsurface where the harsh conditions have less effect.

In the project Molecular detection of life on Mars' our main objective is to develop, evaluate and optimise sensitive extraction and detection methods for biomarkers, especially molecules storing hereditary information, and this applying the molecular techniques of microbial ecology. The optimised protocol will be subsequently used on terrestrial Mars analogues samples, with possible implications for future space missions to Mars.
Your research will assist in the development of life detection methods and in the identification of suitable candidate environments for the search of life on this planet.
Molecular techniques of microbial ecology will be used, such as cultivation-independent techniques (PCR, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis to fingerprint communities, possibly sequencing) and possibly some culturing (e.g. cell counts).