Radiation Tolerance of Nanopore Sequencing Technology for Life Detection on Mars and Europa

Mark A Sutton,William B Brinckerhoff,Margaret M Weng,Sarah Stewart Johnson,Michael J Mumma,Julie G Bevilacqua,Ryan E Sutton,Elena Zaikova,Aaron S Burton

doi:10.1038/s41598-019-41488-4

Abstract

The search for life beyond Earth is a key motivator in space exploration. Informational polymers, like DNA and RNA, are key biosignatures for life as we know it. The MinION is a miniature DNA sequencer based on versatile nanopore technology that could be implemented on future planetary missions. A critical unanswered question is whether the MinION and its protein-based nanopores can withstand increased radiation exposure outside Earth’s shielding magnetic field. We evaluated the effects of ionizing radiation on the MinION platform – including flow cells, reagents, and hardware – and discovered limited performance loss when exposed to ionizing doses comparable to a mission to Mars. Targets with harsher radiation environments, like Europa, would require improved radiation resistance via additional shielding or design refinements.

Highlights

Emerging nanopore technology has shown great promise for terrestrial nucleic acid sequencing[7] but differs from traditional sequencing techniques in that it does not require amplification of DNA or RNA before analysis
To test the effects of irradiation on flow cell and MinION function, four model R9.5 flow cells were irradiated, and two additional flow cells were used for treatment controls
One control was subjected to repeated platform quality control (QC) alongside the dedicated QC flow cell

Summary

Introduction

Emerging nanopore technology has shown great promise for terrestrial nucleic acid sequencing[7] but differs from traditional sequencing techniques in that it does not require amplification of DNA or RNA before analysis This makes the technology more versatile, potentially enabling the detection and analysis of other charged polymers including XNA, proteins, and lipids[8], though further research into this use of the technology will be required to enable such analyses. Advances in miniaturization have opened new possibilities for sequencing native nucleic acids in remote field environments[9], and life detection instruments designed around protein-based nanopore sequencing are being developed[10]. A MinION was used to successfully sequence DNA onboard the International Space Station (ISS) in a micro-gravity environment[14] These nanopores showed no decrease in performance compared to ground controls. We note that future nanopore-based technologies will likely still use many of the same critical design elements as the MinION and identify components that would need to be redesigned for successful operation in space

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion