Using a portable Raman spectrometer to detect carotenoids of halophilic prokaryotes in synthetic inclusions in NaCl, KCl, and sulfates

The miniature portable lightweight Raman spectrometer with 532 nm excitation enables unambiguous detection of carotenoids in microscopic inclusions in crystalline laboratory-grown salts – chlorides and sulfates. This is achieved without the use of any microscopic device. The results obtained can serve as a basis for proposing to use portable Raman spectrometers as a tool of first-pass when sampling salt and sulfate crystalline masses for carotenoid analyses in situ at outcrops or drill cores sampling. This report has relevance for search of biomarkers in exobiology context.

Jehlička J., Culka A., Mana L., Oren A. (2018): Using a portable Raman spectrometer to detect carotenoids of halophilic prokaryotes in synthetic inclusions in NaCl, KCl, and sulfates. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 410, 4437-4443. (DOI)