Expert Exchange: Visit to the Natural History Museum, London

Europlanet 2024 RI’s Expert Exchange Programme aims to support the planetary community to share expertise and best practice, and to prepare new facilities and services. The programme provides funding for short visits (up to one week). 

Victor Amir Cardoso Dorneles of University of Bologna, Italy, visited the Natural History Museum, London (UK) from 3-9 April 2022 to participate in a Raman spectroscopy training course and as part of a major ongoing collaborative project for understanding the geobiological and astrobiological potentials of fossil-bearing stromatolites from the East African Rift system.

The Europlanet Expert Exchange Program has supported my visit to the Natural History Museum London (NHM) which successfully happened between 3rd to 9th April 2022. The purpose of this visit was to perform practical training on the analytical technique of X-ray micro-computed tomography (Micro-CT) and the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), as well as the related software to the data processing and visualisation, and the preliminary discussions of this data. Fortunately, other analytical techniques that were not previously programmed could be performed during the visit to the NHM due to the availability of laboratories, such as scanning thin sections under an optical microscope and also scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS).

As part of my PhD project titled “Biosignatures of Extreme Environments as Targets of Astrobiological Exploration”, I am investigating different morphologies, micro fabric, mineralogy, and geochemistry signatures of modern stromatolites from extreme environments related to the East African Rift system. The characterisation of these stromatolites and the possible identification of related biosignatures via non-invasive and non-destructive analytical approaches will advance interpretations of traces of life in astrobiological exploration and preparation for the next Mars sample return missions.

An example of analyses performed during the NHM visit was based on the Micro-CT, in which we could generate very good three-dimensional sample models in order to investigate in detail the stromatolites morphologies. In addition, FTIR analysis was extremely important in identifying the order of organic material present in the samples and how to visualise this distribution through colour compositional maps. However, all the analytical training was very beneficial and exceeded my expectations. Therefore, I want to especially thank the Europlanet Expert Exchange, as this grant contributed to the full development of my PhD research at the level of academic excellence.

Below is a brief description of the activities carried out at the NHM according to each day:

• 3rd April – Travel from Bologna (Italy) to Luton (UK) and subsequent transfer from Luton to London. Check-in at the Queen’s Gate Lodge accommodation at the Natural History Museum and registration of a temporary staff for free access to the NHM premises.
• 4th April – Optical microscope. We had one entire day on the automated optical microscope to take scanning images with high resolution of the areas of interest for the other analyses.
• 5th April – FTIR. We had two days on the FTIR to acquire spectrums and maps of selected samples. We optimized the time to acquire 3 medium maps (200×200 μm) each day and 1 large map (1×1 mm) overnight.
• 6th April – Micro-CT and FTIR. The micro-CT analysis does not need to be monitored during the scanner processing, therefore, on that day, one sample was analysed in the morning and another in the afternoon, with high resolution. In parallel, we continued performing the FTIR analysis.
• 7th April – SEM-EDS. The same samples selected for FTIR were also analysed with SEM-EDS, in order to improve the compositional maps made before and also to investigate the mineral distribution.
• 8th April – Processing data. The last day was reserved for processing the FTIR and EDS analysis with the support of specific software provided by the NHM laboratories.
• 9th April – Checkout at the accommodation and delivery of the NHM temporary staff badge. Transfer to Luton and later travel from the UK to Italy.

Expert Exchange Objectives covered by this visit: Training for Transnational Access, Early Career Support.

Find out more about the Europlanet Expert Exchange Programme.