Life Marker Chip Sample Processing Equipment

从火星上的样品中提取有机分子，并随后将其交付到能够表征其化学特性的仪器中，这是一项重大的分析挑战。困难的出现是因为目标分子的各种化学性质。生物分子主要是极性的，很容易溶解在水溶液中，而化石有机分子是非极性的，溶解在有机溶剂中；非生物分子可以包含这两种类型。有机分子可以驻留在许多岩性中，每一种岩性都可以选择性地保留某些分析物。这些基质效应是有效提取过程的潜在障碍。我们的研究和方法是评估进一步改进样品提取和分析物浓度的选择，并应用于几种岩石类型。

The extraction of organic molecules from samples on Mars and their subsequent delivery to an instrument capable of characterizing their chemistry represents a substantial analytical challenge. Difficulties arise because of the various chemical properties of the target molecules. Biological molecules are predominantly polar and dissolve readily in aqueous solutions whereas fossil organic molecules are non polar and dissolve in organic solvents; abiotic molecules can contain both types. The organic molecules may reside in a number of lithologies each of which can selectively retain certain analytes. These matrix effects represent potential barriers for effective extraction procedures. Our research and approach is to assess further options for improving sample extraction and analyte concentration, with application to several rock types.