MSGID: 1:317/3 64af7e06   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    New study reveals evidence of diverse organic material on Mars    
      
     Date:   
         July 12, 2023   
     Source:   
         University of Florida   
     Summary:   
         Scientists gain vital insights into Mars' history and potential   
         for supporting life.   
      
      
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   A new study featuring data from the NASA Mars Perseverance rover has   
   presented compelling evidence for organic material on the Martian surface,   
   shedding light on the potential habitability of the Red Planet. The   
   research, led by a team of scientists that includes UF astrobiologist   
   Amy Williams, was recently published in the journal Nature.   
      
   Scientists have long been fueled by the possibility of finding organic   
   carbon on Mars, and while previous missions provided valuable insights,   
   the latest research introduces a new line of evidence that adds to our   
   understanding of Mars. The findings indicate the presence of a more   
   intricate organic geochemical cycle on Mars than previously understood,   
   suggesting the existence of several distinct reservoirs of potential   
   organic compounds.   
      
   Notably, the study detected signals consistent with molecules linked to   
   aqueous processes, indicating that water may have played a key role in   
   the diverse range of organic matter on Mars. The key building blocks   
   necessary for life may have persisted on Mars for a far more extended   
   period than previously thought.   
      
   Amy Williams, an expert in organic geochemistry, has been at the forefront   
   of the search for life's building blocks on Mars. As a participating   
   scientist on the Perseverance mission, Williams' work centers on the   
   quest for organic matter on the Red Planet. She aims to detect habitable   
   environments, search for potential life materials, and uncover evidence   
   of past life on Mars.   
      
   Eventually, the on-site samples collected by Perseverance will be sent   
   back to Earth by future missions, but it will be a complex and ambitious   
   process spanning many years.   
      
   "The potential detection of several organic carbon species on Mars has   
   implications for understanding the carbon cycle on Mars, and the potential   
   of the planet to host life throughout its history," said Williams,   
   an assistant professor in UF's Department of Geological Sciences.   
      
   Organic matter can be formed from various processes, not just those   
   related to life. Geological processes and chemical reactions can also   
   form organic molecules, and these processes are favored for the origin   
   of these possible Martian organics. Williams and the team of scientists   
   will work to further examine the potential sources of these molecules.   
      
   Until now, organic carbon had only been detected by the Mars Phoenix   
   lander and the Mars Curiosity rover by using advanced techniques like   
   evolved gas analysis and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The new   
   study introduces a different technique that also potentially identifies   
   simple organic compounds on Mars.   
      
   The chosen landing site for the rover within Jezero crater offers a high   
   potential for past habitability: As an ancient lake basin, it contains   
   an array of minerals, including carbonates, clays, and sulfates. These   
   minerals have the potential to preserve organic materials and possible   
   signs of ancient life.   
      
   "We didn't initially expect to detect these potential organics   
   signatures in the Jezero crater floor," Williams said, "but their   
   diversity and distribution in different units of the crater floor now   
   suggest potentially different fates of carbon across these environments."   
   The scientists used a first-of-its-kind instrument called the Scanning   
   Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and   
   Chemicals (SHERLOC) to map the distribution of organic molecules and   
   minerals on rock surfaces. SHERLOC employs deep ultraviolet Raman and   
   fluorescence spectroscopy to simultaneously measure weak Raman scattering   
   and strong fluorescence emissions, providing crucial insights into the   
   organic composition of Mars.   
      
   The findings mark a significant step forward in our exploration of the   
   Red Planet, laying the groundwork for future investigations into the   
   possibility of life beyond Earth.   
      
   "We are just now scratching the surface of the organic carbon story on   
   Mars," Williams said, "and it is an exciting time for planetary science!"   
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   Materials provided by University_of_Florida. Original written by Lauren   
   Barnett. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.   
      
      
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   Journal Reference:   
      1. Sunanda Sharma, Ryan D. Roppel, Ashley E. Murphy, Luther W. Beegle,   
      Rohit   
         Bhartia, Andrew Steele, Joseph Razzell Hollis, Sandra Siljestro"m,   
         Francis M. McCubbin, Sanford A. Asher, William J. Abbey, Abigail C.   
      
         Allwood, Eve L. Berger, Benjamin L. Bleefeld, Aaron S. Burton,   
         Sergei V.   
      
         Bykov, Emily L. Cardarelli, Pamela G. Conrad, Andrea Corpolongo,   
         Andrew D. Czaja, Lauren P. DeFlores, Kenneth Edgett, Kenneth   
         A. Farley, Teresa Fornaro, Allison C. Fox, Marc D. Fries, David   
         Harker, Keyron Hickman- Lewis, Joshua Huggett, Samara Imbeah, Ryan   
         S. Jakubek, Linda C. Kah, Carina Lee, Yang Liu, Angela Magee,   
         Michelle Minitti, Kelsey R. Moore, Alyssa Pascuzzo, Carolina   
         Rodriguez Sanchez-Vahamonde, Eva L. Scheller, Svetlana Shkolyar,   
         Kathryn M. Stack, Kim Steadman, Michael Tuite, Kyle Uckert, Alyssa   
         Werynski, Roger C. Wiens, Amy J. Williams, Katherine Winchell,   
         Megan R. Kennedy, Anastasia Yanchilina. Diverse organic-mineral   
         associations in Jezero crater, Mars. Nature, 2023; DOI:   
         10.1038/s41586- 023-06143-z   
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   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230712124609.htm   
      
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