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Life in the sabkha: Raman spectroscopy of halotrophic extremophiles of relevance to planetary exploration

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Abstract

The Raman spectroscopic biosignatures of halotrophic cyanobacterial extremophiles from sabkha evaporitic saltpans are reported for the first time and ideas about the possible survival strategies in operation have been forthcoming. The biochemicals produced by the cyanobacteria which colonise the interfaces between large plates of clear selenitic gypsum, halite, and dolomitized calcium carbonates in the centre of the salt pans are identifiably different from those which are produced by benthic cyanobacterial mats colonising the surface of the salt pan edges in the intertidal zone. The prediction that similar geological formations would have been present on early Mars and which could now be underlying the highly peroxidised regolith on the surface of the planet has been confirmed by recent satellite observations from Mars orbit and by localised traverses by robotic surface rovers. The successful adoption of miniaturised Raman spectroscopic instrumentation as part of a scientific package for detection of extant life or biomolecular traces of extinct life on proposed future Mars missions will depend critically on interpretation of data from terrestrial Mars analogues such as sabkhas, of which the current study is an example.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Research Council, the United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain (Research Grant No. 01-05-2-12/03), for logistic and financial support provided for the expedition to the sabkha to collect the specimens used in this study. We also thank the Malaysian Government for a studentship for NF Nik Hassan during the tenure of which this work was carried out.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemical and Forensic Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, BD7 1DP, UK

    Howell G. M. Edwards, Nik F. Nik Hassan & Tasnim Munshi

  2. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 17551, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates

    Mahmood A. Mohsin

  3. Department of Geology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 17551, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates

    Fadhil N. Sadooni

Authors
  1. Howell G. M. Edwards
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  2. Mahmood A. Mohsin
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  3. Fadhil N. Sadooni
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  4. Nik F. Nik Hassan
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  5. Tasnim Munshi
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Correspondence to Howell G. M. Edwards.

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Edwards, H.G.M., Mohsin, M.A., Sadooni, F.N. et al. Life in the sabkha: Raman spectroscopy of halotrophic extremophiles of relevance to planetary exploration. Anal Bioanal Chem 385, 46–56 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-006-0396-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-006-0396-3

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