A microbial oasis in the hypersaline Atacama subsurface discovered by a life detector chip: implications for the search for life on Mars

The Atacama Desert has long been considered a good Mars analogue for testing instrumentation for planetary exploration, but very few data (if any) have been reported about the geomicrobiology of its salt-rich subsurface. We performed a Mars analogue drilling campaign next to the Salar Grande (Atacama, Chile) in July 2009, and several cores and powder samples from up to 5?m deep were analyzed in situ with LDChip300 (a Life Detector Chip containing 300 antibodies). Here, we show the discovery of a hypersaline subsurface microbial habitat associated with halite-, nitrate-, and perchlorate-containing salts at 2?m deep. LDChip300 detected bacteria, archaea, and other biological material (DNA, exopolysaccharides, some peptides) from the analysis of less than 0.5?g of ground core sample. The results were supported by oligonucleotide microarray hybridization in the field and finally confirmed by molecular phylogenetic analysis and direct visualization of microbial cells bound to halite crystals in the laboratory. Geochemical analyses revealed a habitat with abundant hygroscopic salts like halite (up to 260?g kg(-1)) and perchlorate (41.13?μg g(-1) maximum), which allow deliquescence events at low relative humidity. Thin liquid water films would permit microbes to proliferate by using detected organic acids like acetate (19.14?μg g(-1)) or formate (76.06?μg g(-1)) as electron donors, and sulfate (15875?μg g(-1)), nitrate (13490?μg g(-1)), or perchlorate as acceptors. Our results correlate with the discovery of similar hygroscopic salts and possible deliquescence processes on Mars, and open new search strategies for subsurface martian biota. The performance demonstrated by our LDChip300 validates this technology for planetary exploration, particularly for the search for life on Mars.     

Osmoadaptive strategies of the archaeon Halococcus hamelinensis isolated from a hypersaline stromatolite environment

Biogenic stromatolites are sources of significant information on the evolution of microbial life. Despite their evolutionary significance, little is known about the mechanisms of osmoadaptation by microorganisms that comprise living stromatolites thriving in hypersaline environments. Osmoadaptive strategies for Halococcus hamelinensis, a novel halophilic archaeon recently isolated from living stromatolites in the hypersaline reaches of Shark Bay, were thus a particular interest in this study. To investigate the possibility of "salt-in-cytoplasm"-associated osmoadaptation for this archaeon, flame photometry studies were performed. From the results, it was evident that this halophilic archaeon did not accumulate intracellular K(+) ions when cells were exposed to either osmotic shock or conditions with gradual increments in salinity. These results were further supported by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses where there was no evidence for the existence of homologous genes to an ATP-driven, high-affinity potassium uptake system in Halococcus hamelinensis. To identify an alternative salt adaptation mechanism associated with accumulation of compatible solutes for this archaeon, (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy experiments were carried out. Results indicate that glycine betaine, trehalose, and glutamate are solutes likely to be involved in osmoregulation in this archeaon. Subsequent (1)H NMR analysis of cell extracts from this microorganism grown under various NaCl concentrations revealed that intracellular levels of glycine betaine increased with increasing concentrations of NaCl. This behavior of increasing glycine betaine concentration with increasing external NaCl is consistent with its identity as an osmolyte. In contrast, intracellular levels of trehalose were decreased in high concentrations of NaCl. This provides evidence that compatible solute accumulation appears to be the preferential salt regulation mechanism for this haloarchaeon, in contrast to the salt-in-cytoplasm strategy employed by many other halophilic archaea.     

三天线SAR干涉仪系统的模拟模型和性能分析

为了减小常规ＳＡＲ干涉仪技术相位模糊和噪声的不利因素，最近提出用于三维地形测绘的采用最佳统计数据处理的一种三天线ＳＡＲ干涉仪。本文提出一种统计模型以在仿真现场模糊新系统的大部分工作条件。     

孔、轮廓和表面(十三) 第八章 座标磨削的原理和应用(二)

动力头的往复运动——让支架和连接组件通过机械传动来实现往复移位运动,看来是不切实际的。这在很大程度上是由于需要在每分钟内作0～120次的无级调速往复运动,     

汤姆逊-CSF公司寻求更大的市场

像其他许多法国防务设备制造商一样,汤姆逊-CSF公司的电子系统分公司(ESD)在许多对外销售市场中(特别对中东)一直是相当成功的.但近年由于石油价格下跌,已经导致中东及其他地区一些国家不得不削减、甚至中断他们的主要防御合同.因此,目前该公司正在积极使其硬件和软件产品进入竞争激烈的美国市场.     

孔、轮廓和表面(十)

第七章座标镗床的运行操作 (一) 下面仅就机床的操作实践问题作一概括的介绍。当然,本文不可能完全预计到各类具体工件的所有要求和条件。工件的装夹——工件装夹在机床工作台上以后,就构成了工件相对于机床测量系统及主轴的几何关系。虽然装夹的形式可能是多种多样的,但应该确保的共同要求有如下几点: 1.工件表面或轴线对机床工作台的平行度以及工件边缘或轴线与工作台运动方向的找正。     

喷管型面及其缺陷对发动机效率的影响

通过6英寸直径火箭发动机的静态试车,并用独特的计算机编码进行数据处理,求出了11种不同喷管型面的喷管排出效率和推力效率。确定了具有尖角和大的喉部曲率半径的普通收敛—扩散喷管的效率基准值。用小的园周槽来模拟入口斜面和出口锥的粗糙度缺陷。出口锥的冲刷用切割1.5英寸和4英寸半径的单个园周糟来模拟。入口和出口锥面的小糟对喷管排出效率和推力效率没有多大影响。出口锥面上的大园周糟使推力效率降低约4%。具有大的喉部曲率半径的潜入喷管的效率和普通喷管一样。设计低劣的喷管,其推力效率损失预计可达8%。     

电源电子开关电路的EMI特性

1 引言 大家公认,尽管使用电源电子电路有许多优点,如高频、零声频噪声、响应速度等等,但双重稳定性,即这种形式的系统固有的工作转换模式,可能引起不必要的谐波成分。在电源频率范围以内,典型的是高达40倍的电源基频,这样的问题在文献[1,2,3]中充分做了说明,例如各种减轻手段、对策、模拟技术以及性能的可接受程度[4,5]。