{"693363":{"#nid":"693363","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Electrical Method Could Help Detect Signs of Life Beyond Earth","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA team of researchers has developed a new method for detecting potential biosignatures in space. The study,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-026-77947-6\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EChiral discrimination of amino acids in meteorite and desert soil extracts via single-molecule nanogap conductance\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, was published in\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/em\u003E this October.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech contributors included corresponding author\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/christopher-e-carr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChristopher E. Carr\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, an\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eassistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EDaniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, and Research Scientist\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJos\u00e9 L. Ram\u00edrez-Col\u00f3n\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe technique the team developed focuses on the handedness, or chirality, of amino acids. Biotic processes largely use one form of amino acid, whereas nonliving processes produce both forms in roughly the same amounts. As a result, the ratio of amino acid forms present can be used as a potential indicator of life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETo detect these ratios, the researchers harnessed recent developments in nanotechnology: passing molecules through a gap between two gold nanowires. The resulting technique distinguished between amino acid forms with over 80% accuracy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe team hopes their work could lead to compact instruments capable of analyzing samples and identifying biosignatures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThis story is adapted from an article originally published by the University of Osaka.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sanken.osaka-u.ac.jp\/en\/achievement\/release\/20261005.html\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead the full story in the University of Osaka newsroom.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI: 10.1038\/s41467-026-77947-6\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding: Japan Science and Technology Agency, NASA PICASSO\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers are using artificial intelligence and nanotechnology to identify amino acid biosignatures.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers are using artificial intelligence and nanotechnology to identify amino acid biosignatures."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-10-21 16:36:50","changed_gmt":"2026-10-21 19:12:51","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-10-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-10-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681501":{"id":"681501","type":"image","title":"The Atacama Desert","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Atacama Desert serves as a Mars analogue site. (Credit: Vinicius Henrique \/ Unsplash)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1792601305","gmt_created":"2026-10-21 16:48:25","changed":"1792601305","gmt_changed":"2026-10-21 16:48:25","alt":"A landscape of red mountains and valleys in the arid Atacama Desert.","file":{"fid":"265911","name":"vinicius-henrique-photography-A7GwggrhXm4-unsplash.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/21\/vinicius-henrique-photography-A7GwggrhXm4-unsplash.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/21\/vinicius-henrique-photography-A7GwggrhXm4-unsplash.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1785490,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/21\/vinicius-henrique-photography-A7GwggrhXm4-unsplash.jpg?itok=kM9Cgqln"}},"681500":{"id":"681500","type":"image","title":"The North of Antofagasta site in the Atacama Desert, a Mars-analog environment where samples analyzed in this study were collected. (Credit: Christopher E. Carr)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe North of Antofagasta site in the Atacama Desert, a Mars-analog environment where samples analyzed in this study were collected. (Credit: Christopher E. Carr)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1792601305","gmt_created":"2026-10-21 16:48:25","changed":"1792601305","gmt_changed":"2026-10-21 16:48:25","alt":"Scattered rocks across the dry desert floor.","file":{"fid":"265910","name":"chriscarr.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/21\/chriscarr.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/21\/chriscarr.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2011672,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/21\/chriscarr.jpg?itok=RPSVQGgl"}}},"media_ids":["681501","681500"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.sanken.osaka-u.ac.jp\/en\/achievement\/release\/20261005.html","title":"An electrical technique for identifying signs of life in space"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192252","name":"cos-planetary"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EWriter \/ Editor\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Sciences\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}