Planetary scientists in Algeria and Switzerland have developed a scientific instrument that could help hunt for signs of life on Mars. Used to locate microbial fossils in gypsum deposits here on Earth,

Microorganisms first appeared on Earth in ancient bodies of water around 3.7 billion years ago. But while Mars might have hosted substantial bodies of water around the same time, it’s tough for scientists to determine whether these otherworldly pools also harbored microbial life.

"What this study in Algeria really does is it highlights that you can use ... "And chemical methods are just a little more transferable to Mars." Sellam's dad, a statistician, ignited in him a curiosity about the world. "With the Algerian currency, it's ...

Scientist is proud to have led "the first astrobiology study to involve Algeria," and believes that his findings are a major step towards finding evidence of life on Mars. Scientists searching for ...

Scientists found fossil-like traces in gypsum, suggesting ancient microbial life may have existed on Mars billions of years ago.

Gypsum from Algeria stood in for Martian sulfate deposits However, in the distant past Mars was a very different place with a thicker atmosphere and so much liquid water that much of the surface ...

Scientists may finally have a way to detect ancient life on Mars by studying microbial fossils preserved in sulfate minerals. Gypsum deposits on Mars may be hiding evidence of past microbial life — similar to the first organisms that appeared on Earth four billion years ago.

Researchers tested this technology in gypsum deposits in Algeria, a geological site analogous to those on Mars. The results are encouraging: LIMS identified microbial filaments and minerals associated with life, such as dolomite and clay. These elements ...

Scientists are using a laser-based tool to aid future Mars missions in identifying evidence of life on the Red Planet.