Abstract EANA2026-244

The notion of chirality is one that is usually not instinctive, yet chiral asymmetry is often mentioned as the ultimate proof of life in astrobiology. Chirality experiments have been flown to Mars and to a comet in the form of chiral chromatographic columns coupled to mass spectrometers. These have now become staples for any future astrobiology-focused missions: ExoMars, but also DragonFly and likely ESA’s L4 mission to icy moons.

Amino acids are the usual targets for chiral measurements, but these are not expected to survive the geological timescale and need to undergo prior liquid chemical reactions to be detectable. To try to bridge this time gap and simplify measurements, we discuss other chiral molecules and structures that could help us identify extant, as well as long extinct life.

Altogether, this presentation aims to shed some light on what chirality is, how we measure it, and what are its limitations when applied to the search for life beyond Earth.