Planetary in Situ Capillary Electrophoresis System (pisces)

Introduction: We propose to develop PISCES, a 3kg, 2W, flightcapable microfluidic lab-on-a-chip capillary electrophoresis analyzer that is capable of injesting solid, liquid, or gas samples and performing a suite of chemical analyses with parts per trillion sensitivity. This system would be a general purpose analytical system for in situ planetary exploration. For analysis of gases or liquids, the system would be capable of actively acquiring samples via a needle inlet. In addition to acquiring samples from the environment, gaseous effluent from other instrument systems such as pyrolysis GC-MS could also be analyzed by bubbling through a liquid solvent and then analyzing dissolved content. Solid samples would have to provided by an external system in powder form and dumped into a funnel atop the unit. Our technology builds upon the foundation laid by the Mars Organic Analyzer systems conceived and developed at UC Berkeley. However, it would extend this technology intended for Mars in a number of critical aspects, making it applicable to Titan and a variety of other planetary environments. These enhancements include: 1) It would be completely autonomous, performing sample handling for itself and possibly other instrument systems. 2) It would have an expanded range of chemical targets. 3) It would have a reliable means for storing all reagents required for analysis in dried form. 4) It could handle samples in multiple forms, including solids, liquids, and gases. 5) It could operate over a wide range of ambient temperatures and pressures.