October 10, 2003	Friday	Sha’aban 13, 1424

LONDON: Scottish scientists are trying to develop a sophisticated technology to detect whether there is life on Mars and how it developed on Earth.

Geologists and bioengineers aim to identify biomolecules in water that have been trapped in rocks for millions to billions of years for clues about early life.

“If the technology proves successful, it will enable us to take advantage of a new source of information about the history of life on Earth, and potentially on other planets too,” Dr John Parnell, of the University of Aberdeen’s Geology and Petroleum Geology Department, said in a statement on Thursday.

Scientists from the University of Glasgow will help Parnell and his colleagues during the three-year project.

The scientists will examine early Earth rocks from before the age when the fossil record become extensive and analyse rocks brought back from Mars.

Parnell said the team will also try to miniaturize the technique so it can be used in spacecraft travelling to other planets.—Reuters