The Atacama Desert is by far the driest and oldest desert on Earth, showing a unique
combination of environmental extremes (extreme dryness, the highest UV radiation levels on …

The detection and analysis of extraterrestrial life are important issues of space science. Mars
is among the most important planets to explore for extraterrestrial life, owing both to its …

For the last four decades space exploration missions have searched for molecular life on
planetary surfaces beyond Earth. Often pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry …

An extreme halophilic archaeon, strain SGH1, is a novel microorganism isolated from
endolithic microbial communities colonizing halites at Salar Grande, Atacama Desert, in …

The question whether organic compounds occur on Mars remained unanswered for
decades. However, the recent discovery of various classes of organic matter in martian …

Tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) is one of the most popular methylation reagents
that have been increasingly used for the detection of organic compounds within a wide …

The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on the Curiosity rover has detected evidence
of oxychlorine compounds (ie, perchlorates and chlorates) in Gale crater, which has …

The discovery and subsequent investigations of atmospheric oxygen on Mars are reviewed.
Free oxygen is a biomarker produced by photosynthesizing organisms. Oxygen is reactive …

Organic chemistry is ubiquitous in the Solar System, and both Mars and a number of icy
satellites of the outer Solar System show substantial promise for having hosted or hosting …

A variety of aqueous deposits and soils from gullies, fluvial channels, mountain slopes,
alluvial fans, playas, polygons, and yardangs have been found on Mars. However, the …