Biogeochemical Reactions Under Simulated Europa Ocean Conditions

Details Biogeochemical Reactions Under Simulated Europa Ocean Conditions Biogeochemical Reactions Under Simulated Europa Ocean Conditions

Dec 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007agufm.b51b0364a&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2007, abstract #B51B-0364

Biology

0406 Astrobiology And Extraterrestrial Materials, 0716 Cryobiology (0475), 6218 Jovian Satellites

Scientific paper

Galileo data have demonstrated the probable presence of a liquid water ocean on Europa, and existence of salts and carbon dioxide in the satellite's surface ice (e.g., Carr et al., 1998; McCord et al., 1999, Pappalardo et al., 1999; Kivelson et al., 2000). Subsequently, the discovery of chemical signatures of extinct or extant life in Europa's ocean and on its surface became a distinct possibility. Moreover, understanding of Europa's potential habitability is now one of the major goals of the Europa Orbiter Flagship mission. It is likely, that in the early stages of Europa's ocean formation, moderately alkaline oceanic sulfate-carbonate species and a magnetite-silicate mantel could have participated in low-temperature biogeochemical sulfur, iron and carbon cycles facilitated by primitive organisms (Zolotov and Shock, 2004). If periodic supplies of fresh rock and sulfate-carbonate ions are available in Europa's ocean, then an exciting prospect exists that life may be present in Europa's ocean today. In our laboratory, we began the study of the plausible biogeochemical reactions under conditions appropriate to Europa's ocean using barophilic psychrophilic organisms that thrive under anaerobic conditions. In the near absence of abiotic synthetic pathways due to low Europa's temperatures, the biotic synthesis may present a viable opportunity for the formation of the organic and inorganic compounds under these extreme conditions. This work is independent of assumptions regarding hydrothermal vents at Europa's ocean floor or surface-derived oxidant sources. For our studies, we have fabricated a high-pressure (5,000 psi) reaction vessel that simulates aqueous conditions on Europa. We were also successful at reviving barophilic psychrophilic strains of Shewanella bacterium, which serve as test organisms in this investigation. Currently, facultative barophilic psychrophilic stains of Shewanella are grown in the presence of ferric food source; the strains exhibiting iron reduction capability will be later selected and used to facilitate biogeochemical reduction of iron under simulated temperature and pressure of Europa's ocean. The results of this work will enable us to ascertain whether Europa's cold, high-pressure ocean is capable of supporting life. In addition, the data from this study will help in generating a list of organic and inorganic target molecules for future remote sensing and in situ exploration missions.

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