[Determination of optical activity of the growth medium as a method for detection of extraterrestrial life]

Determination of optical activity of the cultural medium can be used for detection of extraterrestrial life. The composition of the growth medium depends on the duration of the experiment. Automatic biological stations are sent to planets for a short time, and the best components of the growth medium are D-glucose and D-maltose; optical activity of the cultural broth disappears upon assimilation of these compounds. Tartaric acid is less suitable since the duration of the experiment increases several times and desert soils do not always contain microorganisms assimilating tartaric acid.