Tricorder Tech: Small Chip To Search For Signs Of Extraterrestrial Life

Is life possible – or has it ever been possible – on other planets? The (Origin of) Life Marker Chip (LM_COOL) seeks the answer. This innovative chip is being developed by a Dutch consortium led by TU Delft, with funding from the NSO Instruments Programme. UT researcher Jurriaan Huskens and his team are going to make the optical sensor selective for the required biomarkers.

A Dutch-built instrument capable of detecting traces of life on Saturn’s moon Enceladus – that is the ultimate dream of TU Delft researcher Niels Ligterink. Over the coming years, he will work with around thirty colleagues from various Dutch companies and knowledge institutes on the (Origin of) Life Marker Chip (LM_COOL).

The invention is best described as a tiny yet complete laboratory in the form of a computer chip. It is ‘pre-programmed’ to identify specific molecules in liquids; molecules that could point to life, such as amino acids.

“You can best compare our chip to a keyhole, with the molecule we are searching for as the key,” explains Ligterink, “Because only one key fits in the keyhole, we can be almost 100 per cent certain that we have captured the molecule we are looking for when we detect something with our chip. This makes our lab-on-a-chip revolutionary.”

UT researcher Jurrian Huskens adds: “An important step forward is that we are going to selectively recognise a mirror image of an amino acid. After all, living organisms make only one of the mirror images, and so this recognition is essential to determine whether the amino acid comes from a life process or not.”

A lighter way to search for life

The idea for the Life Marker Chip (LMC) was first proposed more than twenty years ago for ESA’s ExoMars mission. Although ESA eventually selected other instruments for that mission, the consortium partners remained enthusiastic about the concept. With financial support from the NSO Instruments Programme, the instrument is now being further developed so that it can be used on a range of future planetary missions.

One of the greatest advantages of the new LM_COOL is its compact size and low weight. Current life-detection instruments on Mars are the size of a microwave oven and weigh between ten and twenty kilos. By contrast, LM_COOL will be about the size of a soft drink can and weighs only 700 grams. In space exploration, where every kilogram of launch mass matters, the Dutch chip offers a lightweight yet high-performance alternative.

Towards a prototype

At the heart of LM_COOL lies integrated photonic chip technology. The Netherlands already has extensive experience with this technology in medical applications, but it has never before flown in space. A key challenge is to test and prepare the chip for use in the extreme conditions of space.

In Delft, researchers are investigating under what circumstances – such as extreme temperatures, radiation and vacuum – the chip can function reliably, and what measures are needed to keep the system operational during a mission to Enceladus. Here, the expertise of Space Systems Engineer Vidhya Pallichadath MSc, who has worked on several space missions, is of great value: “Through prototyping, test campaigns and refining the design, we are increasing the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the instrument.” At UT, the optical sensor is being made selective for the required biomarkers.

“This is where the support of the NSO is crucial for us,” says Ligterink. “Thanks to the Instruments Programme, we can continue developing LM_COOL, enabling us to qualify as a supplier for both small and large European space missions, for example, a future mission to Saturn’s moon Enceladus.”

Around thirty engineers and scientists from TU Delft, Lionix, TNO, and the universities of Twente, Utrecht, Cranfield (UK), Leicester (UK), Colorado Boulder (USA) and the Open University (UK) are contributing to LM_COOL over the coming years. They are turning promising ideas into concrete blueprints for building a fully functioning prototype. Meanwhile, the chip is being tested extensively to develop the most stable receptors (keyholes) and to validate them under a wide variety of extreme conditions.

Innovation creates new opportunities

The global search for extraterrestrial life continues to capture the imagination, Ligterink notes. In his view, the Netherlands must claim a prominent position in this field. Partly because of the country’s strong expertise in planetary research and astrobiology, and partly because investing in technology drives innovation, start-ups and economic opportunities within and beyond the space sector. “And of course, the biological and medical breakthroughs that may follow once extraterrestrial life has been discovered and can be studied further,” Ligterink adds. If LM_COOL does make its way to Saturn, it will not be for at least another 25 years. Analysing the scientific results will then take a further decade.

By that time, my colleagues and I will be approaching retirement age”, says Ligterink, “But that does not stop us from devoting ourselves fully to this instrument. If you want to compete at the top level of planetary research, you have to be willing to invest for the long term.

Astrobiology,