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C. Carr
This 1 inch by 1 inch microfluidic chip is part of the SETG instrument prototype. Tiny channels feed in the samples to be analyzed and control the fluidic circuitry on the chip. Blue light excites fluorescent dyes that help identify DNA within 3072 cubic chambers, each about the width of a human hair, or one billionth of a liter in size.
Life as we know it has a common ancestor — somewhere. Is it a Martian? A new device under development to fly on a future mission to Mars to find and sequence bits of genetic material could provide an answer, according to MIT and Harvard scientists.
"Given what we know about meteorite impacts and transfer of material between Earth and Mars, we are hoping that life may in fact exist on Mars and that it may in fact be related to us," Christopher Carr, a MIT research scientist who is leading the project, told me today.
The idea that life originated on Mars goes back before the Viking missions of the 1970s, which looked for signs of life on the Red Planet. It got a boost in the 1990s with the discovery that microbes could have hitched interplanetary rides on meteorites between the two planets during an intense period of bombardment between about 3.5 and 4 billion years ago.
"About a billion tons of rock probably went between Earth and Mars, most of that actually went in the Mars-to-Earth direction — about a 100-fold higher amount," Carr noted. "So that makes it more likely that if we find something on Mars that's related to us that it actually came from Mars to Earth."
Device development
Carr and colleagues have identified regions of genome sequences that are conserved across all known life forms on Earth and are working on a device that will look for bits of this genetic material on Mars.
The device, called the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Genome (SETG), will isolate any RNA or DNA from bits of soil, rock and ice brought up from the subsurface of Mars, amplify it to the point it could be detected and then sequence it.
So far their prototype consists of the micro-fluidic chip in the image above which can amplify and detect bits of genetic material. In the next few years, they aim to add components to isolate the genetic material and sequence it as well.
"Our hope is that in the next two years, we will have a system that we can put in soil at the beginning and get sequences out at the end," he said. The aim is for an instrument that weighs about 2 kilograms and is roughly the size of a shoebox.
Finding genetic material on Mars that shows a link with life on Earth would allow scientists to learn more about how we are related and when the split occurred. As for whether the scientists will have any luck finding genetic material that shows we're all Martians remains an open question.
"I think it is entirely possible," Carr said. "I wouldn't necessarily say probable. Bottom line, if it is there, we want to find it. It may or may not be."
More stories about life on Mars:
- Did probes find Martian life … or kill it off?
- Were life's building blocks picked up on Mars decades ago?
- Next up for Mars missions: the search for life
- Early cave bacteria hints at Mars life
John Roach is a contributing writer for msnbc.com. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by hitting the "like" button on the Cosmic Log Facebook page or following msnbc.com's science editor, Alan Boyle, on Twitter (@b0yle).
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So if we ever find intelligent life on earth we'll know where it came from.
there was a sighting of intelligent life 200 some years ago in the form of Ben Franklin, and then aboiut 2000 years ago in the form of Jesus. when he said"to enter paradise, you must be like a child" and when he said"it is harder for the rich to enter paradise,than the camel to pass throiugh the eye of the needle"- which actually was refering to the small tunnel through the wall of the city that allowed foot traffi to pass but it was very difficult to get a camel to get down on its belly and squirm through, not impossible, but very difficult, especially considering that the camel is pretty onery. so instead of spending ungodly sums of money on rediculis trips to outer space, why not take care of this awsome planet and the needless hunger and pain of our fellow brothers and sisters and all the children.
It came from the not so well known planet of "XXX Winning....... Duh."
michael - all that money we spend on those space trips STAYS HERE ON PLANET EARTH! The money goes into jobs, taxes, etc. so we can take care of this awesome planet on which we live. The more money we spend on projects like this, the more money we have to spend on Earth!
NASA costs each American less than $1 a week.
For less than $1 a week we are exploring whole new worlds!
Furthermore, the way for the United States to leave this economic crisis is through science and technology. NASA in many ways drives research in this country, and is a net investment in our economy.
We spend 3x more on cosmetics than we do on NASA. If you wish to reduce an activity and feed the poor, I suggest that we do NOT gut something that that is as important, as vital to our future, and as inspirational, as NASA.
Cheers! ~Michael (AFM*Radio / Astronomy.FM)
Michael(Astonomy.FM), trying to edge me out of my five cents, are ya? ;-P
Michael Brown, Helping each other is a noble endeavor. But you can see simply by looking at Michael(Astronomy.FM)'s comment a good way to help society is to invest in NASA and the space program's of the world. Actually, I don't have any hard data on this but I can surmise from what I've seen that pumping money into NASA R&D actually helps feed more people than actually buying food and trying to feed the hungry of the world. The research and development actually provides long term benefits that simply "feeding hungry people" does not provide. You can feed a man with a fish for a day, but teach him to fish....
Now Mob and Michael, I've got to add my shot too. If money is invested into NASA for extended human missions, to Mars for example, there has to be technology developed to feed the crew. The weight of carrying all of the food and water for the mission would be so huge that we couldn't get enough rockets in space and have all of the materials transferred to start the mission before spoilage would set in. The technology to overcome these problems could then be used address the problems with food supplies here on Earth. In essence, spaceflight is the testbed for solutions for a more global problem.
Of all the M. Browns who have said we should stop spending money on space travel and other scientific endeavors, Ms. rainlady2 had the perfect answer that I believe has been the first to be put out there. The money stays home, it doesn't go with the space craft. Genuine genius.
You mean we're not outsourcing space exploration to aliens?
At first I thought that this article was going to be about the "auditing" device used by the Cult of Scientology. Thank goodness it's not.
Given what I know about whole genome amplification they might end up getting a false positive. Incidentally I would like to know what quality control measures they are taking to prevent the occurance of a false positive. Because if you combine the polymerase with the reaction mixture in the absence of template DNA it will soon start stringing random nucleotides (which are included in the rxn mixture) together. You will get amplified DNA, but it might not be of anything.
Let's not forget the possibility that we have seeded Mars with probes, and we could get positives of stuff we've already sent up there.
Once you've corrected the color images from Spirit and Opportunity to the color coded Sun dial that is on both robots, it becomes apparent that there is more going on on Mars than NASA would like to admit to for the time being. That is most likely being done because neither robot is properly equipped to confirm what the images appear to show in the bottoms of most of the Martian craters that they've come across.
Sorry NASA and JPL. Your color coded Sun dials really do betray your weak attempt to cover it up.
As interesting as this is ... it would still just be a small step.
Regarding panspermia, finding life-links to other planets, asteroids, comets, etc, only begs the question: Where did that life come from. If we go back far enough - rock upon rock - where/what was the cause of the "first" lifeforms. That's the question I find most interesting.
ManFromNanuNanu........... So you'll get amplified DNA of nothing? So it will be like, "Winning........Duh"????.
"whole genome amplification" can't happen with current nucleic acid polymerization devices. That's why we have vectors and restriction enzymes: it allows us to build cDNA libraries. It requires thousands upon thousands of vectors to build a genome library. Without question, this device will not be capable of that. The writer also says they are targeting sequences that are universal to all known life on earth, meaning they are using the most common sequences, which also means they will not have any trouble isolating these sequences and using them as template. The polymerases they use aren't just going to synthesize random useless sequences. Template-dependent polymerases will not do that. It would be ridiculous to use enzyme that does do that.
So Hugo Chavez is right?
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/22/us-venezuela-chavez-mars-idUSTRE72L61D20110322
the big bang
Your mom been telling you stories about me again?
You're the Little Dipper?
If we find related life on Mars, it doesn't necessarily mean we came from Mars. It might mean we came from the same place somewhere else. Maybe Titan? Maybe from outside the solar system aboard a comet?
Actually, Mars DNA would be a great reason for the Cambrian Explosion era, from which we went from one cell- to multi-cell organisms. Also it would help explain the start of our oxygen intake - Carbon Dioxide waste (95.3% of Mars Atmosphere is CO2 ).
Another thing to note, is that one-celled organisms have a great DNA selection process, from which they can sexually reproduce with select RNA nucleotides being taken out or made Dominate
I knew that.
Blasphemy! Heresy!
What astronomical witchcraft be this???
The devil leads us astray... into space!
Remember... in space, no one can hear you pray!
If the Devil can trick us by burying fossils on this planet, who's to say Old Scratch ain't doin' the same on the Red Planet. Same as all the billion year old photons that come from distant galaxies that don't actually exist because they are just the light of Heaven pouring through the holes in the Celestial Sphere.
<<sarcasm alert>>
Once again I'm subjected to commentary by those who seem to think the Roman Catholic church still exists as the voice of Christianity.
*sigh*
The Roman Catholics have consistently improved their scientific literacy over the last 200 years, while American Evangelicals have devolved into a hominid one step above the Flat Earth Society.
And in a post-holiday spirit:
Oh the vacuum outside is endless, unforgiving - cold - and friendless.
But still we must boldly go! Make it so, make it so, make it so!
Why do YOU care if someone hears YOU pray? Why is that important to you? Isn't it all about your connection with God [if that's who you're praying to]? Must you always pray out loud, if only to irritate those around you, who are not praying? lol!!
I'm not so naive as to believe we are the only ones in the universe. BUT, something is going to have to fall in my dang lap to prove it to me, I also believe it is a huge waste of taxpayer money to go looking for it/them. just my 2c
Ever think what possible implications this advanced technology could have in other areas. One would think it could be applied to any types of genes or piece of DNA to be able to quickly tell if someone has a genetic disorder. Imagine in the future putting a small blood sample into a shoe box in a clinic and not having to wait weeks for results to the test. Infact many technologies created by the space program (funded by tax payers) have found their way into our lives. That is why pushing the envelope of human limits is so great.
All I know is that I love my Tempur-Pedic pillow.
I believe in multiple universes, all of them equally lousy.
I learned something new! That is so amazing to me that we all share something besides the Earth. :-)
So what happens when they find the Ice Warriors?
We will be saved by a man with no plan, no back up, and no weapons.
lol! Excellent. I was beginning to think no one else would get this.
I was reading through some of your comments on other pages and while we may not see eye to eye on everything, anyone that likes Dr. Who (especially the old stuff) is O.K. in my book.
I consider myself pretty moderate, but I can be persuaded with good arguments. "Madmen don't alter their views to fit the facts, they alter the facts to fit their views" (Face of Evil).
You know, I think it makes sense that ALL life, regardless of where it's from or where it is, be it on Earth, Mars or somewhere in the Andromeda Galaxy, has at least a few of the same basic starting blocks of DNA. Spending a fortune and more trying to prove it seems like wasteful spending....
Bwah ha ha ha ha ha ha , You Earthlings, I'm not from Mars, I'm from the planet Venducia here to study your planet for possible conquest...
Well, we're all made up of leftover "star stuff" from out in the cosmos anyway, so I don't think the thought of having a Martian connection, while hard to conclusively prove, is too outlandish to consider and research.
Party
everything is everywhere MITers.... will it help Sprint circuits always busy.
Why is it believed that a billion tons of rock transfered between the two planets, most of it in this direction? Is there evidence for this? How would this happen in the first place? Is it claimed that meteorite impacts kick up debris that then escapes the gravitational influence of one planet and then ends up on the other? Is there some other explanation? (Sorry about all the questions.) It sounds a bit far-fetched to me. I think wild theories are being hatched to explain something that hasn't even been found yet.
The gravitational pull from the Sun is the evidence you are seeking.
I think there is other lifeforms out there. Given our track record, maybe we should leave them alone. Human beings destroy everything they touch.
Once upon a time, a planetoid came along and whacked Mars big time literally knocking its atmosphere and part of its oceans directly into space. If you look at a picture of Mars it it obvious this happened. The planetoid went on to be the asteroid belt, and the flash frozen water, protecting the spores within, eventually crossed paths with Earth and plopped into our oceans. This either caused what is known as the explosion of life forms, OR they out natural selectioned the natives and brought about a mass extinction
This all started as a search for Charlie Sheen's brain. They will know when they are getting close once they start finding 7 gram rocks.
Maybe CS Lewis was right: Mars (Perelandra) was the first planet on which God created life, but due to some early problems (can't recall details!), he had to start over on Earth! Not only that, but maybe I was right too! When I was in junior high school I fantasized that I was a Martian in deep cover (the Martian Chronicles had a big effect on me). Perhaps I'll get that "wake up call" to my true identity yet...
I just read Perelandra (it was Venus fyi, I think he called Mars Merelandra): That is one of my favorite books of all time. Just from the one read. His attention to detail and the Un-man was better than good. I felt shivers go down my spine when I read about how it acted. And the floating islands were an incredible idea. I never thought a science fiction from seventy(?) years ago would be any good. I'm glad I was wrong. I hope I can find a copy of both Merelandra and Perelandra to buy. It's a very good piece of literature, from my point of view.
Envy, that name is Malacandra, from the prequel, "Out of the Silent Planet". The final novel of the trilogy was "That Hideous Strength". They are fascinating novels, and i do recommend that you read them in order. C.S. Lewis was a contemporary and friend, I have read, of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Might as well state ANOTHER one of my theories before someone else grabs it: The Earth is , in effect a large motor. You have a conductor ---the earth itself - with current flowing through it as is evident by our magnetic poles and all that is needed is for it to pass through a magnetic field and it will turn just as a motor does. Well the Higgs particle is what is causing the universal magnetic field so omnipresent it is impossible to isolate and detect
The idea that the Earth turns because of angular momentum as a hot gas cloud cooled down is bogus because the Earth never WAS just a hot gas cloud, it formed via a bunch of rocks comglomerating together as they collided
Sometimes it is terribly difficult to tell when folks are being sarcastic or they actually believe what they speak. Here is one. David seems to appreciate the realm of science. But in the same breath denies reality itself. Very odd way to live if you ask me. Guess he was just being funny though. Ha, Ha
True, but the currently most accepted theory is that the moon was formed when an approximately Mars sized planetoid struck it, simultaneously imparting angular momentum to the Earth and expelling large amounts of lighter weight mantle material - while the Earth absorbed the denser core of the planetoid. The theory explains why the Moon's density is lower than the Earth's...and why the Earth has a higher amounts of dense materials than other planets that have been studied.
I think it was Nova that did a great presentation of the theory a while back, including an animated look at the formation of the moon and how the "drag" of the Moon on the Earth's rotation gradually slowed it from an average rotation of only 8 hours a "day" to our current 24 hours. Try this link...I think it has a fairly good explanation and has a link to at least the animation showing what I'm talking about. If that doesn't work, try looking on the PBS, NOVA or Discovery websites. I remember seeing the program and being impressed with it, but not exactly where I saw it.
hmmm...I was just going to say Mars is in the same boat as Earth; never was a gas cloud, formed from dust and rocks and rotates 39 minutes slower than Earth. However, Mars has no magnetic poles or magnetic fields...
I think you are on the right track, David. The current model of accretion disc theory is hard to believe. I think the structure of our cosmos is much more likely the function of electro-magnetism than it is gravity.
Mars may have no magnetic poles because there is no longer a molten core in which current can flow freely. But obviously it once did and once it got to spinning there was nothing to stop it
Mark C, every once in a while we have a major Japanese Earthquake to speed up the Earth by a microsecond or two, or a half. Keep up with the news. At this rate, we'll be flying off the Earth because it is spinning so fast, in a few million years or so.
Let me guess, L. Ron Hubbard made this chip. Slow news day.
These so-called "scientists" are deranged... What utter nonsense!
Really? Please enlighten us with the correct information, since you know everything. Where exactly did you study the relevant material, again?
I believe 'A PERSON' has a very valid point. If I understand the article the intent is to build a machine that can identify biological organisms by sifting through the soil.
So while there is still absolutely no evidence of an life on Mars, these scientists plan to send this machine to Mars to sift for signs of non-existent life. I don't believe the government needs to fund this project either. They need to find some dreamers to invest in this project who can afford a no return on their money. Might as well send a child to a inland quarry with a pail and shovel and have them search for sea shells.
We have a lot of those shells here in Michigan; about as far "inland" as you can get. Let me know where we can send a Petoskey stone, Michigan's state rock, found by my daughter at an inland quarry, which is actually fossilized coral from when Michigan was covered by a warm sea.
We find fossilized sea shells by the ancient seashore all the time, too.
The lesson - don't assume that there are no shells at that inland quarry until you've looked.
I've got a $50 wager that we'll find evidence of life on Mars by 2050. (But I didn't bet $100.)
Cheers! ~Michael (AFM*Radio / Astronomy.FM)
I agree, we can find ancient sea shells all around Dallas and if you are lucky you find a fish impression!
Just find me a way off this miserable planet!
See #9.3
NOT # 9.3. Try # 19. If it works for Charlie and the other people who send US $40 billion to Mexico each year, it should work for Kraig33761 also. This could be an answer to M. Brown at 1.1 also. Why do we spend all this money on "trips" into "space", no less? Maybe Charlie Sheen does know the answer.
We may be from Mars, but I'm positive all politicians are from URANUS.
So, when the meteors hit earth, they hit with extreme strength and with intense heat, right? Well riddle me this. Can lifeforms, especially ones so ( I don't know the technical term) advance as us, survive the cosmo trip, and what came first the mother or the child? If you have an answer please let me know so I can check it off my list.
anthony1979garcia@yahoo.com
first, the chicken and the egg...forget it...the egg was the first mutation...before that it was multicellular division..mitosis in my language, MAGIC in yours...silver dollars, a type of sea life, clams, and of course burrowed mud worms come to mind as a species more advanced than your own capable of making the journey from mars to earth...I would suspect that they came from farther out in the solar system first..before that they may have well of come via hops from small extra solar system bodies, exchanging frozen eggs by bouncing off one another....all speculation, and of course possible..how long can a bear hibernate? and you? the what if's are terrific, a species that can hibernate eons?...also keep in mind that fission gives off heat, fission products were produced in starts, which sometimes explode...the force can tear apart nearby planets...blasting all, including any eggs or frozen dna (or even tna?) vast distances at incredible speeds....I would lilke to thing that life arose on large masses of material near the inner part of galaxies, and the violence of star stuff brought here and of course beyond....but that is all belief, not pushing it on any one...hint, hint.