In Situ Analytical Chemistry Laboratory for the Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor

In this paper, we report a fully automated, end-to-end (sample-in/data-out) capillary electrophoresis system.

The system’s dimensions conform to the cylindrical shape and power/data requirements of the science payload compartment of the Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (EELS), a snake-like robot capable of autonomously navigating challenging terrain on Earth or other worlds.

CAD models of the systems developed in this work in reference to previous work. (A) Previous underwater CE system (150 cm long, 7.6 cm in diameter). (31) (B) Current, miniaturized CE-C4D system (32 cm long, 10 cm in diameter). (C) Conceptual model of a proposed module incorporated into the EELS robot designed for field tests at terrestrial analog sites. The model’s scale in panel (A) is approximately two times smaller compared to panels (B and C). — ACS Measurement Science Au via PubMed

The capillary electrophoresis system is equipped with three contactless conductivity detectors: two dedicated to analyte detection and one for characterizing bulk sample flow. The system enables simultaneous detection of cations and anions, including K⁺, Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl^–, and SO₄^2–, at submicromolar concentrations.

Testing of the CE-C4D instrument on a glacier. (A) Deployment on ice (GS1). (B) Partial submersion in a stream (MSS4). (C) Full submersion in the glacier pond (P11) — ACS Measurement Science Au via PubMed

For the first time, we deployed and demonstrated autonomous capillary electrophoresis operation on a glacier with the system tested in three environments: on-ice, partially submerged in an active stream, and fully submerged in a glacial pond.

Additional postings on EELS
Astrobiology