Degradation of cyanobacterial biosignatures by ionizing radiation

Primitive photosynthetic microorganisms, either dormant or dead, may remain today on the martian surface, akin to terrestrial cyanobacteria surviving endolithically in martian analog sites on Earth such as the Antarctic Dry Valleys and the Atacama Desert. Potential markers of martian photoautotrophs include the red edge of chlorophyll reflectance spectra or fluorescence emission from systems of light-harvesting pigments. Such biosignatures, however, would be modified and degraded by long-term exposure to ionizing radiation from the unshielded cosmic ray flux onto the martian surface. In this initial study into this issue, three analytical techniques--absorbance, reflectance, and fluorescence spectroscopy--were employed to determine the progression of the radiolytic destruction of cyanobacteria. The pattern of signal loss for chlorophyll reflection and fluorescence from several biomolecules is characterized and quantified after increasing exposures to ionizing gamma radiation. This allows estimation of the degradation rates of cyanobacterial biosignatures on the martian surface and the identification of promising detectable fluorescent break-down products.     

Raman spectroscopic analysis of a desert cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. in response to UVB radiation

Cyanobacteria are capable of tolerating environmental extremes. To survive in extreme environments, cyanobacteria have developed the capability to adapt to a variety of stresses. For example, cyanobacteria have adopted a number of strategies with which to survive UV stress, including expression of UV-screening pigments and antioxidant systems. We have previously shown that several antioxidants are significantly expressed in Nostoc sp. by UVB irradiation. We report here that the content of UV-responsive biomarkers such as β-carotene and scytonemin can be easily detected by Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy with use of a small sample size and that the content of β-carotene is dependant on the UVB intensity and exposure time. Our results indicate that Raman spectroscopy may be a helpful tool to analyze UV-protective molecules of cyanobacterium in astrobiological studies without access to large sample sizes and complicated extractions, which are needed by other analytical techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry.     

推进物理学的不断进步，将加快实现星际旅行之梦

推进物理学领域的突破将加快人类前往其他星球的步伐,大家很想知道,未来的太空生活是什么样的？     

The biological effectiveness of HZE-particles of cosmic radiation studied in the Apollo 16 and 17 Biostack experiments

The Biostack experiments I and II were flown on board the Apollo 16 and 17 command modules in order to obtain information on the biological damage produced by the bombardment of heavy high-energy (HZE) particles of cosmic radiation during spaceflight. Such data are required for estimating radiation hazards in manned spaceflight. Seven biological systems in resting state (Bacillus subtilis spores, Colpoda cucullus cysts, Arabidopsis thaliana seeds, and eggs of Artemia salina, Tribolium castaneum and of Carausius morosus) were accommodated in the two Biostacks. By using a special sandwich construction of visual track detectors and layers of biological objects, identification of each hit biological object was achieved and the possible biological damage correlated with the physical features of the responsible HZE-particle. In the different systems the degree of damage depended on whether the hit cell was replaceable or not. A high sensitivity to HZE-particle bombardment was observed on Artemia salina eggs; 90% of the embryos, which were induced to develop from hit eggs, died at different developmental stages. Malformations of the abdomen or the extremities of the nauplius were frequently induced. In contrast, the growth of hit Vicia faba radiculae and the germination of hit Arabidopsis thaliana seeds and hit Bacillus subtilis spores were not influenced remarkably. But there was an increase in multicaulous plants and a reduction in the outgrowth of the bacterial spores. In addition, information was obtained on the fluence of the HZE-particles, on their spectrum of charge and energy loss, and on the absorption by the Apollo spacecraft and the Biostack material itself. This will help to improve knowledge concerning radiation conditions inside of spacecrafts, necessary to secure a maximum possible protection to the astronauts.     

航天发动机高空模拟试验新设施

本文介绍了 BPD 公司的 ISA2 高空模拟试验新设施,其性能大大超过本公司原有的 ISA 1航天发动机试验设施。本文介绍了该设施特有的蒸气发生设备、专用试车架、冷却系统和控制系统。同时还谈到了设施的某些特点,如在蒸气发生器内采用饱和水和用机械泵来实现初步真空。分析了设施性能以及它与预测值的一致性,并报导了在真空度大约为0.6千帕(约4.5毫米汞柱)情况下的某些测试结果。