Considerations for Detecting Organic Indicators of Metabolism on Enceladus

Enceladus is of interest to astrobiology and the search for life since it is thought to host active hydrothermal activity and habitable conditions. It is also possible that the organics detected on Enceladus may indicate an active prebiotic or biotic system; in particular, the conditions on Enceladus may favor mineral-driven proto-metabolic reactions. When including metabolism-related biosignatures in Enceladus mission concepts, it is necessary to base these in a clearer understanding of how these signatures could also be produced prebiotically. In addition, postulating which biological metabolisms to look for on Enceladus requires a non Earth-centric approach, since the details of biological metabolic pathways are heavily shaped by adaptation to geochemical conditions over the planet’s history. Creating metabolism-related organic detection objectives for Enceladus missions therefore requires consideration of how metabolic systems may operate differently on another world, while basing these speculations on observed Earth-specific microbial processes. In addition, advances in origin of life research can play a critical role in distinguishing between interpretations of any future organic detections on Enceladus, and discovery of an extant prebiotic system would be a transformative astrobiological event in its own right.