ArticleAstrobiology2018
Fingerprinting Non-Terran Biosignatures.
Article in Astrobiology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed.
- Molecular assembly as a universal biosignature measurable by mass spectrometry.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026Article
- Agnostic material classification using differential de Bruijn graphs of DNA imprints.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Discrimination of myelofibrosis and liver cirrhosis using a spleen ultrasound-based radiomics nomogram model.Experimental and therapeutic medicine · 2025Article
- Organic geochemical evidence for life in Archean rocks identified by pyrolysis-GC-MS and supervised machine learning.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025Article
- Fundamental constraints to the logic of living systems.Interface focus · 2024Review
- A robust, agnostic molecular biosignature based on machine learning.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2023Article
- Searching for Life, Mindful of Lyfe's Possibilities.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Introduction-First Billion Years: Habitability.Astrobiology · 2021Review
- Classification of the Biogenicity of Complex Organic Mixtures for the Detection of Extraterrestrial Life.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- Metabolomics as an Emerging Tool in the Search for Astrobiologically Relevant Biomarkers.Astrobiology · 2020Review
- Evaluating Biosignatures for Life Detection.Astrobiology · 2020Article
- The Complex Molecules Detector (CMOLD): A Fluidic-Based Instrument Suite to Search for (Bio)chemical Complexity on Mars and Icy Moons.Astrobiology · 2020Article
- Mars Extant Life: What's Next? Conference Report.Astrobiology · 2020Article
- Mass spectrometry and planetary exploration: A brief review and future projection.Journal of mass spectrometry : JMS · 2020Article
- Deciphering Biosignatures in Planetary Contexts.Astrobiology · 2019Article
- Radiation Tolerance of Nanopore Sequencing Technology for Life Detection on Mars and Europa.Scientific reports · 2019Article
- Planetary Protection and the astrobiological exploration of Mars: Proactive steps in moving forward.Advances in space research : the official journal of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Most strategies for life detection rely upon finding features known to be associated with terran life, such as particular classes of molecules. But life may be vastly different on other planets and moons, particularly as we expand our efforts to explore ocean worlds like Europa and Enceladus. We propose a new concept for life detection that harnesses the power of DNA sequencing to yield intricate informatics fingerprints, even for life that is not nucleic acid-based. The concept is based on the fact that folded nucleic acid structures (aptamers) have been shown to be capable of binding a wide variety of compounds, whether inorganic, organic, or polymeric, and irrespective of being from a biotic or abiotic source. Each nucleic acid sequence can be thought of as a code, and a combination of codes as a "fingerprint." Over multiple analytes, the "fingerprint" of a non-terran sample can be analyzed by chemometric protocols to provide a classifier of molecular patterns and complexity. Ultimately the chemometric fingerprints of living systems, which may differ significantly from nonliving systems, could provide an empirical, agnostic means of detecting life. Because nucleic acids are exponentially amplified by the polymerase chain reaction, even very small input signals could be translated into a robust readable output. The derived sequences could be identified by a small, portable sequencing device or by capture and optical imaging on a DNA microarray. Without presupposing any particular molecular framework, this agnostic approach to life detection could be used from Mars to the far reaches of the Solar System, all within the framework of an instrument drawing little heat and power. Key Words: Agnostic biosignatures-Astrobiology-Chemometrics-DNA sequencing-Life detection-Proximity ligation assay. Astrobiology 18, 915-922.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.