Algerian scientist uses cutting-edge laser technology to detect ancient life

A groundbreaking study led by Algerian scientist Youcef Sellam is advancing the search for ancient life using state-of-the-art laser technology, according to NPR.

Sellam and his team utilized a laser ablation ionization mass spectrometer (LIMS) to analyze microbial fossils in Algerian gypsum—offering potential applications for detecting life on Mars.

The LIMS instrument works by directing a laser beam onto rock samples, vaporizing small portions, and analyzing the resulting atomic spectra. This method allows scientists to detect chemical signatures that indicate past biological activity.

The study, published in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences, demonstrated that LIMS successfully identified traces of ancient microbes in gypsum, a mineral that could similarly preserve life on Mars.

"We proved that our instrument is capable to detect signatures of life in the gypsum," he told NPR.

Sellam’s journey began with a road trip to a gypsum quarry in Algeria, where he collected samples that later became central to his Ph.D. research at the University of Bern. His findings suggest that Mars, with its preserved ancient landscapes, could hold fossilized microbial life.

"What this study in Algeria really does is it highlights that you can use chemical methods to infer that biology is in the mineral," biochemist Bonnie Baxter, who directs the Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster University, told NPR.

This breakthrough underscores LIMS’ potential for space exploration and the search for extraterrestrial life.