Marta Ruiz-Bermejo

Bio: Marta Ruiz-Bermejo is an academic researcher from Spanish National Research Council. The author has contributed to research in topics: Polymerization & Polymer. The author has an hindex of 18, co-authored 51 publications receiving 854 citations. Previous affiliations of Marta Ruiz-Bermejo include NASA Astrobiology Institute & Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial.

A Microbial Oasis in the Hypersaline Atacama Subsurface Discovered by a Life Detector Chip: Implications for the Search for Life on Mars

Abstract: The Atacama Desert has long been considered a good Mars analogue for testing instrumentation for planetary exploration, but very few data (if any) have been reported about the geomicrobiology of its salt-rich subsurface. We performed a Mars analogue drilling campaign next to the Salar Grande (Atacama, Chile) in July 2009, and several cores and powder samples from up to 5 m deep were analyzed in situ with LDChip300 (a Life Detector Chip containing 300 antibodies). Here, we show the discovery of a hypersaline subsurface microbial habitat associated with halite-, nitrate-, and perchlorate-containing salts at 2 m deep. LDChip300 detected bacteria, archaea, and other biological material (DNA, exopolysaccharides, some peptides) from the analysis of less than 0.5 g of ground core sample. The results were supported by oligonucleotide microarray hybridization in the field and finally confirmed by molecular phylogenetic analysis and direct visualization of microbial cells bound to halite crystals in the la...

Following the Metalation Process of Protoporphyrin IX with Metal Substrate Atoms at Room Temperature

Abstract: We have studied the in situ coordination reaction of porphyrin molecules, particularly protoporphyrin IX (H2PPIX), with copper substrate atoms in ultrahigh vacuum conditions with a combination of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy. We show that these protoporphyrin IX molecules deposited on Cu surfaces, as Cu(110) and Cu(100), form metalloprotoporphyrin IX (CuPPIX) by incorporation of Cu atoms from the surface already at room temperature. We have followed this reaction as a function of temperature and we have determined intermediate situations at lower temperatures where the physisorbed macrocycle rings present a tendency to establish hydrogen bonding between molecules.

Simple Organics and Biomonomers Identified in HCN Polymers: An Overview

Abstract: Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is a ubiquitous molecule in the Universe It is a compound that is easily produced in significant yields in prebiotic simulation experiments using a reducing atmosphere HCN can spontaneously polymerise under a wide set of experimental conditions It has even been proposed that HCN polymers could be present in objects such as asteroids, moons, planets and, in particular, comets Moreover, it has been suggested that these polymers could play an important role in the origin of life In this review, the simple organics and biomonomers that have been detected in HCN polymers, the analytical techniques and procedures that have been used to detect and characterise these molecules and an exhaustive classification of the experimental/environmental conditions that favour the formation of HCN polymers are summarised Nucleobases, amino acids, carboxylic acids, cofactor derivatives and other compounds have been identified in HCN polymers The great molecular diversity found in HCN polymers encourages their placement at the central core of a plausible protobiological system

Prebiotic Microreactors: A Synthesis of Purines and Dihydroxy Compounds in Aqueous Aerosol

Abstract: We report the synthesis of purine bases and other heterocycles and the formation of amino acids, hydroxy acids and dihydroxy compounds by the spark activation of an atmosphere of methane, nitrogen and hydrogen, in the presence of an aqueous aerosol. With the aid of the interface air–water, the organic material obtained shows greater amounts and diversity of molecules with biological interest than the products obtained in the absence of an aerosol. Our results support the suggestion that aerosols may have played a significant role in the prebiotic origin of molecular diversity and evolution.

Prebiotic systems chemistry: new perspectives for the origins of life.

Abstract: Kepa Ruiz-Mirazo,†,∥ Carlos Briones,‡,∥ and Andreś de la Escosura* †Biophysics Unit (CSIC-UPV/EHU), Leioa, and Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science, University of the Basque Country, Avenida de Tolosa 70, 20080 Donostia−San Sebastiań, Spain ‡Department of Molecular Evolution, Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC−INTA, associated to the NASA Astrobiology Institute), Carretera de Ajalvir, Km 4, 28850 Torrejoń de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain Organic Chemistry Department, Universidad Autońoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain

Porphyrins at interfaces

Abstract: Porphyrins and other tetrapyrrole macrocycles possess an impressive variety of functional properties that have been exploited in natural and artificial systems. Different metal centres incorporated within the tetradentate ligand are key for achieving and regulating vital processes, including reversible axial ligation of adducts, electron transfer, light-harvesting and catalytic transformations. Tailored substituents optimize their performance, dictating their arrangement in specific environments and mediating the assembly of molecular nanoarchitectures. Here we review the current understanding of these species at well-defined interfaces, disclosing exquisite insights into their structural and chemical properties, and also discussing methods by which to manipulate their intramolecular and organizational features. The distinct characteristics arising from the interfacial confinement offer intriguing prospects for molecular science and advanced materials. We assess the role of surface interactions with respect to electronic and physicochemical characteristics, and describe in situ metallation pathways, molecular magnetism, rotation and switching. The engineering of nanostructures, organized layers, interfacial hybrid and bio-inspired systems is also addressed.

Chiral Symmetry Breaking during Crystallization: Complete Chiral Purity induced by Nonlinear Autocatalysis and Recycling

Abstract: We report experimental results that show a large and symmetric population of D and L crystals moving into complete chiral purity, with one of the enantiomers completely disappearing. The results indicate (i) a new symmetry breaking process incompatible with the hypothesis of an initial single chiral phase or ‘‘mother crystal,’’ (ii) that total symmetry breaking and complete chiral purity can be achieved from a system that initially includes both enantiomers, and (iii) that this is achieved through a nonlinear autocatalytic-recycling process.

Biofilms: The Microbial “Protective Clothing” in Extreme Environments

Abstract: Microbial biofilms are communities of aggregated microbial cells embedded in a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Biofilms are recalcitrant to extreme environments, and can protect microorganisms from ultraviolet (UV) radiation, extreme temperature, extreme pH, high salinity, high pressure, poor nutrients, antibiotics, etc., by acting as “protective clothing”. In recent years, research works on biofilms have been mainly focused on biofilm-associated infections and strategies for combating microbial biofilms. In this review, we focus instead on the contemporary perspectives of biofilm formation in extreme environments, and describe the fundamental roles of biofilm in protecting microbial exposure to extreme environmental stresses and the regulatory factors involved in biofilm formation. Understanding the mechanisms of biofilm formation in extreme environments is essential for the employment of beneficial microorganisms and prevention of harmful microorganisms.