Solid: an antibody microarray-based instrument for life detection and planetary exploration

Paper number

IAC-06-A3.P.3.08

Author

Dr. Víctor Parro, Centro de Astrobiologia (INTA), Spain

Coauthor

Mr. Jose Antonio Rodriguez Manfredi, Centro de Astrobiologia (INTA), Spain

Coauthor

Dr. Luis A. Rivas, Centro de Astrobiologia (INTA), Spain

Coauthor

Ingeniero Carlos Compostizo, SENER Ingeneria y Sistemas, S.A., Spain

Coauthor

Mr. Pedro L. Herrero, SENER Ingeneria y Sistemas, S.A., Spain

Coauthor

Mr. Eduardo Sebastian Martinez, Centro de Astrobiologia (INTA), Spain

Coauthor

Dr. Mercedes Moreno-Paz, Centro de Astrobiologia (INTA), Spain

Coauthor

Mrs. Miriam García-Villadangos, Centro de Astrobiologia (INTA), Spain

Coauthor

Mrs. Patricia Fernández-Calvo, Centro de Astrobiologia (INTA), Spain

Coauthor

Dr. Carlos Briones, Centro de Astrobiologia (INTA), Spain

Coauthor

Dr. Javier Gomez-Elvira, Centro de Astrobiologia (INTA), Spain

Year

2006

Abstract

Biosensors based on the specificity of biological recognition (bio-affinity) have been extensively developed for biomarker detection (nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, other metabolites).  DNA and protein microarray technology allows covalent binding of thousands of probes in an small area  (few square centimetres) on a solid support. Smaller reaction volumes and higher reaction kinetics, together to its great potential for miniaturization and robotization, make microarray technology a powerful system for in situ analysis of biomarkers in astrobiology. Based on protein microarray technology, we have design and built a prototype instrument called SOLID (for Signs Of LIfe Detector; Parro et al.,  Plan. Spa. Sci. 53, 729-737) for the detection and identification of biochemical compounds. Our system include all the mechanisms, detectors and electronics needed to automatically operate and collect results. A field model of the instrument, SOLID2, has been successfully tested in a field campaign on September 2005 during the development of the MARTE project (Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment; marte.arc.nasa.gov), in collaboration with NASA groups. 
As part of the Pasteur payload for Exomars mission, ESA has selected the Life Marker Chip (LMC), an antibody array-based instrument for the search or life remains (www.aurora.rl.ac.uk). We have demonstrated the feasibility of this approach by using a sandwich immunoassay for the detection of large molecular weight compounds and bacteria from environmental samples using SOLID. We have now an antibody array containing near 200 different antibodies against different extremophile bacteria, extracts from natural samples, conserved proteins, EPS, etc., and the construction of a SOLID3 version with the ESA’s LMC specifications is on the way.

Abstract document

IAC-06-A3.P.3.08.pdf

Manuscript document

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