title: Acquisition of Raman spectra of amino acids using portable instruments: outdoor measurements and comparison.
abstract: Raman spectra of 13 amino acids: L-alanine, β-alanine, L-asparagine, L-aspartic acid, L-glutamic acid, L-glutamine, glycine, L-methionine, L-proline, L-serine, L-threonine, L-tryptophan and L-tyrosine were acquired outdoors using two portable Raman instruments from the Ahura and Delta Nu manufacturers, both with 785 nm laser excitation. Both instruments provide quality Raman spectra with nevertheless a variable dependence upon the prevailing experimental conditions. The data acquired in these experiments will inform the selection of suitable Raman spectrometers for the in-field detection of biomolecules of relevance to the search for life signatures spectroscopically in terrestrial extreme environments and in extraterrestrial exploration, especially of planetary surfaces and subsurfaces using robotic instrumentation.
authors.affiliation: Charles University in Prague, Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Mineral Resources, Albertov 6, 128 43 Prague 2, Czech Republic. culka@natur.cuni.cz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Culka
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jehlička
authors.forename: H G M
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D000409:Alanine / Q000737:chemistry; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D001216:Asparagine / Q000737:chemistry; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D005973:Glutamine / Q000737:chemistry; D005998:Glycine / Q000737:chemistry; D008715:Methionine / Q000737:chemistry; D011392:Proline / Q000737:chemistry; D012107:Research Design; D012371:Robotics; D012694:Serine / Q000737:chemistry; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D014186:Transportation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000737:chemistry; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000737:chemistry; D017132:Workplace; D015091:beta-Alanine / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D005973:Glutamine; D015091:beta-Alanine; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D014443:Tyrosine; D012694:Serine; D001216:Asparagine; D014364:Tryptophan; D011392:Proline; D008715:Methionine; D000409:Alanine; D005998:Glycine