Abstract
A handheld Raman spectrometer (Ahura First Defender) was tested for the unambiguous identification of biomolecules (pure amino acids, carboxylic acids, saccharides and trehalose) in the solid state under outdoor conditions (including moderate climate conditions as well as cold temperatures and high altitudes). The biomolecules investigated represent important objects of interest for future exobiological missions. Repetitive measurements carried out under identical instrumental setups confirmed the excellent reliability of the Raman spectrometer. Raman bands are found at correct wavenumbers ±3 cm−1 compared with reference values. This testing represents the first step in a series of studies. In a preliminary, challenging investigation to determine the detection limit for glycine dispersed in a powdered gypsum matrix, 10% was the lowest content confirmed unambiguously. Clearly there is a need to investigate further the detection limits of Raman spectroscopic analyses of biomolecules in more complex samples, to demonstrate the usefulness or disqualify the use of this technique for more realistic outdoor situations, such as eventual future missions to Mars.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the VZ project of the Ministry of Education of the Czech Republic (grant MSM0021620855) as well as support by grant 133107 from the Grant Agency of Charles University in Prague. Additional support by a grant 261203 (Charles University in Prague) is acknowledged. Part of this work was supported by GACR (project 210/10/0467). P.V. is grateful to Ghent University (project BOF-4J-I/00022/02) and the Belgian Government (IAP-program P6/16) for their financial support.
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Jehlička, J., Vandenabeele, P., Edwards, H.G.M. et al. Raman spectra of pure biomolecules obtained using a handheld instrument under cold high-altitude conditions. Anal Bioanal Chem 397, 2753–2760 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-010-3849-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-010-3849-7