Organic Catalytic Activity as a Method for Agnostic Life Detection

Area of Science:

• Astrobiology
• Biochemistry
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Ideal life detection requires high sensitivity and insensitivity to abiotic processes.
• Detecting life with alternate molecular structures is a significant challenge.
• Catalysis presents a promising agnostic method for life detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose catalytic activity as the basis for a nearly ideal life detection instrument.
• To develop a hydrolytic catalysis detection instrument for extraterrestrial organic material.
• To assess the potential for detecting chirality in unknown life forms.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing chromogenic assay-based detection of hydrolytic catalytic activities.
• Designing artificial substrates releasing chromogenic or fluorescent groups upon hydrolysis.
• Employing D- and L-enantiomers of substrates to probe for chirality.

Main Results:

• Catalysis provides significant amplification, enabling detection of minute catalyst amounts.
• The method is not dependent on culturing or growing alien life.
• Catalytic activity can persist in dead biomass, aiding detection.

Conclusions:

• Hydrolytic catalysis is a robust and sensitive method for agnostic life detection.
• The proposed instrument can detect extraterrestrial life and its chirality.
• Optofluidic chip technology can facilitate sensitive measurements of catalytic activity.