Biofinder shows progress in detecting extraterrestrial life
(ORDO NEWS) — An innovative scientific instrument, the Compact Color Biofinder, developed by a team of researchers at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, could change the way we look for signs of extraterrestrial life.
Most biological materials, such as amino acids, fossils, sediments, plants, microbes, proteins and lipids, have strong organic fluorescence signals that can be detected by specialized scanning cameras.
The research team reported on the high sensitivity of Biofinder, with which it can accurately detect bioremains in fish fossils from the Green River Formation 34-56 million years old.
Searching for evidence of biological remnants across the vast planetary landscape is a formidable task. Therefore, the team tested the Biofinder’s ability to detect ancient Green River fish fossils and confirmed the results using laboratory spectroscopic analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and live fluorescence imaging microscopy.
The results further confirm that biological remains can persist for millions of years, and that the use of biofluorescent imaging can effectively detect these traces in real time.
The search for life that can exist or disappear on planetary bodies is one of the main goals of planetary exploration missions conducted by international space agencies.
—
Online:
Contact us: [email protected]
Our Standards, Terms of Use: Standard Terms And Conditions.
