Role of amino acids and their Maillard mixtures with ribose in the biosilicification process

Vera M. Kolb; Patrick J. Liesch

doi:10.1117/12.676208

14 September 2006 Role of amino acids and their Maillard mixtures with ribose in the biosilicification process

Vera M. Kolb, Patrick J. Liesch

Proceedings Volume 6309, Instruments, Methods, and Missions for Astrobiology IX; 63090T (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.676208
Event: SPIE Optics + Photonics, 2006, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Mode of preservation of organic materials on early Earth, Mars or other extraterrestrial objects, and during the space transport on objects such as meteors, is one of the NASA's interests. This is especially true for the bio-organic materials, which could indicate life, past or present. Finding of such materials preserved in some ancient rocks, for example, could be interpreted as a biosignature. We have developed an experimental model for silicification, in which we have synthesized silica gels by reacting sodium silicate solution with various amino acids and with their mixtures with sugars, so-called Maillard mixtures. Our results indicate that these organic materials cause rapid and massive polymerization of silica. Such process may encrust organics or small organisms and thus preserve them. We have studied the gels we synthesized by the infrared (IR) spectroscopic method, and have detected small amount of the organic material in the silica gel. The gels were distinct in each case and have aged differently. In some cases, gel-sol-gel transformations were observed, which may be important for transport of both gels and the organics under prebiotic conditions. The gels obtained from the Maillard mixtures differ from those from the amino acids. Deuteration of the gels was performed in an attempt to resolve the bands in the Si-O-Si and Si-O-C region.

Citation Download Citation

Vera M. Kolb and Patrick J. Liesch "Role of amino acids and their Maillard mixtures with ribose in the biosilicification process", Proc. SPIE 6309, Instruments, Methods, and Missions for Astrobiology IX, 63090T (14 September 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.676208

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