Seeking the Signs of Life: Assessing the Presence of Biosignatures in the Returned Sample Suite [STUB]

Abstract: A biosignature (”definitive biosignature” or DBS) is an object, substance and/or pattern whose origin specifically requires a biological agent. One category of DBS are complex organic molecules and/or structures whose formation and abundances relative to other compounds are virtually unachievable in the absence of life. A potential biosignature (PBS) is an object, substance and/or pattern that might have a biological origin and thus compels investigators to gather more data before reaching…