Scientists Suggest That the Detection of Organic Molecules on Mars by the Perseverance Rover Might Be Deceptive

Scientists Suggest That the Detection of Organic Molecules on Mars by the Perseverance Rover Might Be Deceptive


**Revealing Mars: Latest Research Questions Perseverance Rover’s Organic Material Find**

A year after NASA’s *Perseverance* rover reportedly found possible organic compounds in Mars’ Jezero Crater—igniting excitement about discovering evidence of ancient life—new investigations are scrutinizing those hopeful conclusions. A fresh study appearing in *Science Advances* has cast doubt on previous interpretations, positing that substances believed to be organic may actually be inorganic.

### The Search for Ancient Life on Mars

Since its landing on Mars in February 2021, Perseverance has been surveying the Jezero Crater floor, a vast 28-mile-wide depression thought to have once been inundated with water. The crater is of significant scientific interest due to its potential to have nurtured ancient microbial life—or at least the foundational elements of life—based on its historical interactions with liquid water. The rover is outfitted with a variety of advanced instruments aimed at examining the crater’s geological history, particularly concentrating on identifying any signs of organic compounds—crucial molecules for life as we understand it.

A major component in this exploration is the Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals (SHERLOC) instrument. Attached to Perseverance’s robotic arm, SHERLOC utilizes deep-ultraviolet (UV) light and Raman spectrometry to analyze the rocks and identify traces of both organic and inorganic compounds. Particularly attuned to aromatic organic compounds—those that emit fluorescence under UV light—SHERLOC was instrumental in uncovering the rover’s promising discoveries in 2022.

In samples taken from the ancient Máaz and Séítah rock formations—ranging from 2.3 to 2.6 billion years old—indications of organic molecules were previously reported in studies following initial analyses of the SHERLOC data. The possible detection of organic compounds, some suggested, hinted at thrilling possibilities, such as historical biological activity or enduring prebiotic chemistry in the now desolate setting.

### The 2022 Revelation

The original report, released in *Science* in 2022, described volcanic rocks abundant in olivine and basalt—igneous minerals typically found in regions with a volcanic past—that displayed evidence of water exposure. This aqueous alteration fueled speculation that organic material might have developed or persisted in these water-saturated contexts. A subsequent study published in *Nature* in 2023 reaffirmed these findings, indicating that SHERLOC’s UV fluorescence data revealed organic signatures closely aligning with aromatic hydrocarbons, which are generally encountered in carbonaceous meteorites and asteroids. Many researchers regarded this initial data as persuasive proof of Mars’ historical organic chemistry.

Nevertheless, it now seems those conclusions may have been hasty.

### The New *Science Advances* Study: An Inorganic Perspective?

In sharp contrast to prior claims, the recent study in *Science Advances* suggests that the suspected organic compounds could instead be inorganic phosphates, specifically those with cerium ions that emit fluorescence similarly to organic materials when exposed to UV light. Cerium(III) ions, a rare earth element, might generate fluorescence signals under the same spectroscopic conditions as aromatic molecules, creating confusion in the initial assessments.

“We discovered that the fluorescence signals collected by SHERLOC could originate from inorganic materials such as cerium ions rather than from aromatic organic compounds,” states Dr. Benjamin Weiss, a planetary scientist at MIT and one of the leading authors of the new study. The researchers indicated that the fluorescent signals in question were closely linked to phosphate minerals, suggesting that cerium(III) was the genuine source of the unexpected luminescence, rather than traces of organic compounds.

In an added twist, SHERLOC’s Raman spectrometry—a tool intended to enhance its UV fluorescence capabilities by accurately identifying both organic and inorganic molecules—detected minimal to no direct evidence of carbon-based signatures, aside from a very faint and ambiguous indication.

“We anticipated that if we were detecting organic material, we would have seen Raman features of macromolecular carbon. However, we did not,” remarks Dr. Tanja Bosak, a co-author of the study.

### The Wider Implications for Mars Research

This finding underscores the challenges associated with conducting remote scientific analyses on Mars. Despite the rover’s sophisticated tools, drawing definitive conclusions based on data collected in such a hostile, alien landscape is riddled with uncertainties.

“There’s very limited scope for conducting replicative experiments on Mars with the technology available today,” observes Dr. Eva Scheller, a planetary scientist at MIT and a contributor to both the earlier and the current studies. “So when you arrive at an unexplored location, unexpected challenges arise that you did not foresee or test for on Earth.”

This challenge highlights the reasons why space agencies like NASA are eagerly looking forward to the eventual return of Martian samples to Earth. Rock samples gathered by Perseverance, many of which are securely cached on Mars, could contain significant clues awaiting thorough examination.