Astrobiological use of model crystals containing biomolecules and microbes: Testing analytical techniques and space exposure experiments

Evaporites are proposed as an important target for astrobiological exploration as they both occur in meteorites and are thought to be a significant component of Martian soils. Many strategies exist for the search of life on Mars in particular the detection of organic biomolecules. We show that evaporite minerals can be grown in the laboratory, encapsulating organic compounds and/or bacteria, which can act as model crystals for testing analytical techniques in astrobiology, including Raman spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, time-of-flight mass spectrometry, immunoassay, and molecular imprinted polymer sensors, and also exposure experiments in space.