EXOMARS: Patterns on the rocks

This project, also linked to PROTOS, is structured around a comprehensive working plan designed to guide the development of experiments, analytical characterizations, and computer simulations aimed at identifying possible biosignatures within these patterns or, alternatively, providing a non-biological explanation.

Professor Garcia-Ruiz’s research team will also contribute to the search for life on Mars, as he has been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) EXOMARS mission as an «Interdisciplinary Scientist». This prestigious role grants PROTOS direct access to data collected by the Rosalind Franklin rover, scheduled to launch to the Red Planet in 2028.

In relation to the aforementioned role, ESA has awarded a three-year research project titled “Patterns on the Rocks” to him. Funded through the EXOMARS Science Knowledge Programme (SKP), this project will support the postdoctoral research of Dr. Christian Jenewein. By applying the same experimental methods developed in PROTOS —such as Miller-Urey-type simulations— this initiative will provide plausible prebiotic reference samples to assist EXOMARS instrumentation teams in their mission preparations.

Critically, the experimental validation of how biological and biomorphic structures —like those studied in PROTOS— are preserved over time is essential. These findings will play a vital role in enabling unambiguous detection of life on Mars and beyond, as well as helping to determine when and under what geochemical conditions life first emerged on Earth.