Life in Salts: a Multidisciplinary Investigation of Microorganisms and Biosignatures in the Death Valley Salt Pan

Recent data from Mars indicate seasonal flows of brine in hillslopes (i.e., recurring slope lineae), raising the possibility of extant life in the shallow subsurface. Questions postulated include the following: Could the concentration of salts, notably calcium perchlorate, be too high even for halophilic bacteria because of their chaotropic (toxic) properties? How do we find the most promising sites? What does an evaporite/salts-inhabiting microbial community look like? Would such biology leave mineral as well as organic biosignatures that could be detected by the instruments on current and proposed missions? This proposed project will characterize a high fidelity terrestrial analog in which these questions could be addressed. Specifically, we propose to characterize a recently discovered, layered, endo-evaporitic microbial community in the Badwater Basin (Death Valley) and its environment. Objectives are to (1) identify the microorganisms and redox energy in the different layers; (2) determine their tolerance for Mars-relevant major cations and ions, including Ca and perchlorate; (3) study formation of the biogenic mineral rosickyite (gamma sulfur) and S isotopic fractionations associated with the sulfur biogeochemical cycle and look for other biogenic minerals; (4) develop a thermal-hydrological model for salinity in evaporite as a function of precipitation and evaporation; (5) test NASA life-detection instruments, including SHERLOC, a spectrometer for Mars 2020; and (6) engage Nevada school teachers so they can inspire their students to pursue careers in STEM disciplines. The proposed project is interdisciplinary – including molecular, physiological, geochemical, and hydrological components. Astrobiologists at the Ames Research Center and Jet Propulsion Laboratory as well as planetary mission participants from other institutions will be engaged via two mechanisms: (1) the three students will be co-mentored by a NASA collaborator, including a visit to the collaborator’s laboratory to perform experiments using mission-relevant technologies and (2) these technologies will be tested in year three during the field campaign. These substantive collaborations between Nevada’s three research institutions and NASA centers will provide the basis for subsequent joint proposal submissions to a variety of programs at NASA and NSF. This proposed project addresses a stated strategic goal of NASA: to search for life on Mars, and a major goal of the Nevada Governor’s economic plan: workforce development and teacher training, especially in STEM disciplines.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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