PERFUMARY

Scent of a woman: Hand odor can reveal a person’s sex

Analysis of scent compounds from the palm can predict a person’s sex with more than 96% accuracy

Peer-Reviewed Publication

PLOS

 

IMAGE: REPRESENTATION OF A HAND ODOR PLUME WITH CHEMICALS CHARACTERISTIC FOR FEMALES AND MALES. view more 

CREDIT: EDUARDO MERILLE, FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY, CC-BY 4.0 (HTTPS://CREATIVECOMMONS.ORG/LICENSES/BY/4.0/)

The profile of scent compounds from a person’s hand can be used to predict their sex, according to a new study led by Kenneth Furton of Florida International University, publishing July 5 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE.

In criminal investigations, dogs have long been used to reliably identify and track people based on their odor. But while human scent evidence from the field is well established, researchers have made little progress in analyzing human scent profiles in the lab.

In the new study, researchers used an analysis technique called mass spectrometry to analyze the volatile scent compounds present on the palms of 60 individuals – half male and half female. After identifying the compounds in each sample, the team performed a statistical analysis to see if they could determine the individual’s sex based on their profile of scents. The analysis successfully predicted a person’s sex with a 96.67% accuracy rate.

Robberies, assaults and rape are all crimes that are often executed with a perpetrator’s hands, and thus have the potential to leave behind valuable trace evidence at a crime scene. The new study shows that it is possible to predict a person’s sex based on hand scents, and existing human odor research indicates scent compounds can also reveal a person’s age and racial or ethnic group. With further validation, the chemical and statistical analyses presented in this paper could be used to uncover many details about a potential perpetrator solely through their hand scent profiles.

The authors add: “This approach to analyzing hand odor volatiles can be applied when other discriminatory evidence such as DNA is lacking and allow for differentiation or class characterization such as sex, race and age.”

#####

In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS ONE: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0286452

Citation: Frazier CJG, Gokool VA, Holness HK, Mills DK, Furton KG (2023) Multivariate regression modelling for gender prediction using volatile organic compounds from hand odor profiles via HS-SPME-GC-MS. PLoS ONE 18(7): e0286452. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286452

Author Countries: USA

Funding: This authors CF,KF, and DM received funding through a sub-award from the Center for Advanced Research in Forensic Science (CARFS), a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Industry University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) at FIU (Award # 1739805). https://iucrc.nsf.gov/centers/center-for-advanced-research-in-forensic-science/. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

---

JOURNAL

PLoS ONE

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0286452 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Multivariate regression modelling for gender prediction using volatile organic compounds from hand odor profiles via HS-SPME-GC-MS

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

5-Jul-2023

COI STATEMENT

Children’s nature drawings reveal a focus on mammals and birds

Mammal and bird species were often identifiable from depictions, while reptiles and amphibians appeared less frequently and less specifically

Peer-Reviewed Publication

PLOS

 

IMAGE: COMMON ANIMALS AND PLANTS. HISTOGRAM SHOWING THE PERCENTAGE OF DRAWINGS CONTAINING AT LEAST ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF EACH GROUP FOR A: ANIMALS AND B: PLANTS. THESE DATA REPRESENT THE COMBINED TOTALS OF BOTH SPECIFIC (E.G., ‘ROBIN’, ‘DAISY’) AND GENERAL (E.G., ‘BIRD’, ‘FLOWER’) REPRESENTATIONS. view more 

CREDIT: HOWLETT, TURNER, 2023, PLOS ONE, CC-BY 4.0 (HTTPS://CREATIVECOMMONS.ORG/LICENSES/BY/4.0/)

When asked to draw their local wildlife, 401 UK schoolchildren aged 7 to 11 most commonly drew mammals and birds, while amphibians and reptiles appeared in the fewest drawings, suggesting imbalances in children’s ecological awareness. Kate Howlett and Edgar Turner of the University of Cambridge, UK, present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on July 5, 2023.

Prior research has shown that, overall, European and North American children’s access to green space has declined in recent decades, and they are becoming increasingly disconnected from nature. Access to greenspace is associated with better cognitive function for children, and disconnection with nature may reduce children’s future support for conservation.

To deepen understanding of children’s connection with nature, Howlett and Turner asked 401 children aged 7 to 11 from 12 schools in England to draw and label the animals living in their gardens and in parks near their homes. The researchers then analyzed the different types and specificity of the wildlife depicted.

The analysis showed that mammals—such as squirrels, cats, and hedgehogs—appeared in 80.5 percent of the drawings, more often than any other type of animal. Birds were the second most common type, found in 68.6 percent of drawings. Insects and other invertebrates were less common, and amphibians and reptiles were least common, appearing in 15.7 percent of the drawings. Although the children were not asked to draw plants, plants appeared in 91.3 percent of the drawings.

The children were most specific when drawing mammals and birds, with most of these animals being an identifiable species. Among animals, insects, reptiles, amphibians and other invertebrates were less often identifiable to species. Among plants, trees and crops—such as strawberries, potatoes, and carrots—were most identifiable.

On the basis of these findings, the researchers suggest that children’s ecological awareness is focused on mammals and birds. Further analysis suggested that ecological awareness may be tied more strongly to at-home or cultural influences, rather than attending a state- versus privately funded school.

The researchers call for broad efforts to boost ecological awareness through adjusting national school curricula and expanding green spaces at schools.

The authors add: “Children’s perceptions of the local wildlife with which they share their gardens and local parks are skewed towards mammals and birds. Not only do children draw mammals and birds more often than they draw invertebrates, amphibians or reptiles, but they are also able to identify them more precisely than they are the smaller, less charismatic groups. While this is perhaps unsurprising, given that it mirrors similar slants in wider media and culture, biases in children’s perceptions of the natural world hint at a wider problem of nature disconnect and attrition of ecological knowledge, and suggest we need to readdress these biases as a matter of urgency.”

An especially beautiful drawing of a child’s garden (age 10).

An illuminating drawing of a child’s local park (age 7).

CREDIT

Kate Howlett, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS ONE: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0287370

Citation: Howlett K, Turner EC (2023) What can drawings tell us about children’s perceptions of nature? PLoS ONE 18(7): e0287370. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287370

Author Countries: UK

Funding: K.H. is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (grant number NE/L002507/1): https://www.ukri.org/councils/nerc/. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

---

JOURNAL

PLoS ONE

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0287370 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

What can drawings tell us about children’s perceptions of nature?

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

5-Jul-2023

Playing with kids could help improve the mental wellbeing of retirement home residents

Study of older women in South Africa links interactions with greater sense of belonging, purpose

Peer-Reviewed Publication

PLOS

 

IMAGE: YOUNG AND OLD HANDS. view more 

CREDIT: AL.EYAD, FLIKR, CC-BY 2.0 (HTTPS://CREATIVECOMMONS.ORG/LICENSES/BY/2.0/)

A study conducted at a retirement home in South Africa suggests that programs promoting interaction between residents and children may provide mental health benefits and could help manage common mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression. Elizabeth Jane Earl and Debbie Marais of Stellenbosch University, South Africa, present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on July 5, 2023.

Prior research suggests that common mental health conditions are often undiagnosed and untreated in retirement homes. Standard treatment for such conditions typically involves a combination of medication and non-pharmacological interventions. Some evidence suggests that programs enabling older adults to interact regularly with kids may boost mental health. However, most of that research has been conducted outside of retirement homes, and few studies have addressed such programs within South African facilities.

To deepen understanding of potential benefits of intergenerational interactions, Earl and Marais conducted a study at a retirement home in South Africa where residents can interact regularly with children who attend an onsite preschool. Activities include playing games, doing puzzles, reading, or singing with the children. The program is in line with a philosophy of elder care called the Eden Alternative, which aims to minimize factors that contribute to anxiety and depression.

The researchers invited residents to complete a questionnaire evaluating their anxiety and depression levels and asking them to describe their experiences with the children. Ten women participated, with four screening as possibly having anxiety, depression, or both. All women had some interactions with the preschool children, though some had more than others.

Overall, the participants reported positive experiences with the children. Analysis of their responses suggested that the interactions promoted a sense of belonging and purpose, fond recollection of their own childhood, and positive effects on mood and emotions. Participants had varying preconceptions of children, which could have influenced their individual experiences with the program.

On the basis of these findings, the researchers conclude that intergenerational interaction programs have the potential to help manage common mental health conditions for retirement home residents. They outline recommendations for implementing such programs and call for larger studies to further explore the potential benefits.

The authors add: “Interactions with children promote a sense of belonging and purpose, evoke reminiscence, and positively influence the mental wellbeing of older persons.”

#####

In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS ONE: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0287369

Citation: Earl EJ, Marais D (2023) The experience of intergenerational interactions and their influence on the mental health of older people living in residential care. PLoS ONE 18(7): e0287369. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287369

Author Countries: South Africa

Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this work.

---

JOURNAL

PLoS ONE

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0287369 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Survey

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

The experience of intergenerational interactions and their influence on the mental health of older people living in residential care

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

5-Jul-2023

“Telekinesis”: Scientists develop new technology for targeted cancer therapy

Peer-Reviewed Publication

CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES HEADQUARTERS

 

IMAGE: SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF IN VIVO MANIPULATION OF CELLS USING PAHAT view more 

CREDIT: SIAT

Acoustic tweezers can control target movement through the interaction of momentum between an acoustic wave and an object. Due to their high tissue penetrability and strong acoustic radiation force, such tweezers overcome the limitations of optical and magnetic tweezers, thus making them suitable for in-vivo cell manipulation.

A research team led by Prof. ZHENG Hairong from the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has recently developed a new type of acoustic tweezers—the phased-array holographic acoustic tweezers (PAHAT) system—which is based on a high-density planar array transducer capable of generating tunable three-dimensional bulk acoustic waves. The researchers hope this system can realize a pharmacological version of "telekinesis."

The study was published in Nature Communications on June 6.

The in vivo environment is extremely complex, due to the different characteristics of various tissues, organs, bones, blood vessels, and blood flow. Such a complex environment creates a huge challenge: How can acoustic methods be used to "trap" bacteria so they can produce therapeutic effects on tumors? 

The team investigated dynamic target manipulation in complex environments using holographic acoustic fields. They subsequently developed a high-density ultrasound transducer array, which made it possible to generate a strong gradient acoustic field and exert precise spatiotemporal control.

The researchers then used gene editing to create sub-micrometer gas vesicles in bacterial cells, enhancing their acoustic sensitivity. These genetically engineered bacteria formed clusters under the influence of the radiation force in the acoustic field. By combining microscopic imaging with PAHAT, the researchers were able to achieve precise manipulation of bacterial clusters in live mice, thus demonstrating a promising approach for targeted drug delivery and cellular therapy in cancer treatment.

Prof. MA Teng, co-corresponding author of the study, said that the researchers could "precisely control bacteria to reach the lesion according to the predetermined path," while Prof. YAN Fei, co-corresponding author of the study, said that the manipulation technology improved cluster aggregation within tumors, thus effectively slowing tumor growth.

According to Prof. ZHENG, "PAHAT enables precise non-contact manipulation of cells in living organisms. Combining with functional cells and cell spheroids, it has great potential in immunotherapy, tissue engineering, targeted drug delivery, and other fields."

Schematic diagram of phased-array holographic acoustic tweezers (PAHAT) system

Setup diagram for in vivo manipulation of cells using PAHAT

CREDIT

SIAT

JOURNAL

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-023-38814-w 

ARTICLE TITLE

In-vivo programmable acoustic manipulation of genetically engineered bacteria

A robot that performs genetic manipulations of the roundworm C. elegans

Peer-Reviewed Publication

PNAS NEXUS

 

VIDEO: THE WORMPICKER IN ACTION. view more 

CREDIT: LI ET AL.

A robotic system capable of imaging and transferring the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans could replace hours of tedious lab work, according to a recent study. Laboratory workers spend untold hours every year manipulating C. elegans, a tiny nematode worm used in genetics research that reproduces quickly and is optically transparent. Often, the labor required to manage and manipulate the animals is a major bottleneck for using the worms to address questions in biology. Fang-Yen, Zihao (John) Li, Anthony Fouad and colleagues developed WormPicker, a robotic system capable of handling routine tasks, increasing the productivity of human researchers. WormPicker’s imaging system autonomously detects nematode age, sex, shape, expression of fluorescent reporters, and other phenotypes. A robot arm holding a wire loop can pluck selected individuals out of a petri dish and transfer the animals to another dish—electrically sterilizing itself with heat between each transfer. The authors put the robot through several standard tasks, including genetic crossing, genetic mapping, and genomic integration of a transgene. The authors show that the robot performs a fluorescent C. elegans sorting task at a rate comparable to that of human researchers. The authors expect the robotic system to accelerate studies in diverse areas of C. elegans biology. To make WormPicker as accessible as possible, the authors are providing a list of components and have made all the design files and system software freely available online.

---

JOURNAL

PNAS Nexus

DOI

10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad197 

ARTICLE TITLE

A robotic system for automated genetic manipulation and analysis of Caenorhabditis elegans

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

5-Jul-2023

COI STATEMENT

Anthony D Fouad and Christopher Fang-Yen are shareholders in Tau Scientific Instruments LLC, which aims to commercialize the innovations described in this work.

Webb locates dust reservoirs in two supernovae

Peer-Reviewed Publication

NASA/GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER

 

IMAGE: IMAGES FROM NASA’S JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE REVEAL LARGE AMOUNTS OF DUST WITHIN SUPERNOVA 2004ET AND SUPERNOVA 2017EAW. THESE SUPERNOVAE ARE LOCATED IN SPIRAL GALAXY NGC 6946, 22 MILLION LIGHT-YEARS AWAY FROM EARTH. THE HEXAGONAL SHAPE OF SN 2004ET IN WEBB’S IMAGE IS AN ARTIFACT OF THE TELESCOPE’S MIRROR AND STRUTS — WHEN THE BRIGHT LIGHT OF A POINT SOURCE IS OBSERVED, THE LIGHT INTERACTS WITH THE SHARP EDGES OF THE TELESCOPE, CREATING DIFFRACTION SPIKES. IN THESE IMAGES, BLUE, GREEN, AND RED WERE ASSIGNED TO WEBB’S MIRI DATA AT 10; 11.3, 12.8, AND 15.0; AND 18 AND 21 MICRONS (F1000W; F1130, F1280W, AND F1500; AND F1800W AND F2100W, RESPECTIVELY). view more 

CREDIT: CREDITS: NASA, ESA, CSA, ORI FOX (STSCI), MELISSA SHAHBANDEH (STSCI), ALYSSA PAGAN (STSCI)

Researchers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have made major strides in confirming the source of dust in early galaxies. Observations of two Type II supernovae, Supernova 2004et (SN 2004et) and Supernova 2017eaw (SN 2017eaw), have revealed large amounts of dust within the ejecta of each of these objects. The mass found by researchers supports the theory that supernovae played a key role in supplying dust to the early universe.

Dust is a building block for many things in our universe – planets in particular. As dust from dying stars spreads through space, it carries essential elements to help give birth to the next generation of stars and their planets. Where that dust comes from has puzzled astronomers for decades. One significant source of cosmic dust could be supernovae – after the dying star explodes, its leftover gas expands and cools to create dust.

 

“Direct evidence of this phenomenon has been slim up to this point, with our capabilities only allowing us to study the dust population in one relatively nearby supernova to date – Supernova 1987A, 170,000 light-years away from Earth,” said lead author Melissa Shahbandeh of Johns Hopkins University and the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. “When the gas cools enough to form dust, that dust is only detectable at mid-infrared wavelengths provided you have enough sensitivity.”

 

For supernovae more distant than SN 1987A like SN 2004et and SN 2017eaw, both in NGC 6946 about 22 million light-years away, that combination of wavelength coverage and exquisite sensitivity can only be obtained with Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument).

 

The Webb observations are the first breakthrough in the study of dust production from supernovae since the detection of newly formed dust in SN 1987A with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope nearly a decade ago. 

Another particularly intriguing result of their study isn’t just the detection of dust, but the amount of dust detected at this early stage in the supernova’s life. In SN 2004et, the researchers found more than 5,000 Earth masses of dust.

“When you look at the calculation of how much dust we’re seeing in SN 2004et especially, it rivals the measurements in SN 1987A, and it’s only a fraction of the age,” added program lead Ori Fox of the Space Telescope Science Institute. “It’s the highest dust mass detected in supernovae since SN 1987A.”

 

Observations have shown astronomers that young, distant galaxies are full of dust, but these galaxies are not old enough for intermediate mass stars, like the Sun, to have supplied the dust as they age. More massive, short-lived stars could have died soon enough and in large enough numbers to create that much dust.

 

While astronomers have confirmed that supernovae produce dust, the question has lingered about how much of that dust can survive the internal shocks reverberating in the aftermath of the explosion. Seeing this amount of dust at this stage in the lifetimes of SN 2004et and SN 2017eaw suggests that dust can survive the shockwave – evidence that supernovae really are important dust factories after all.

 

Researchers also note that the current estimations of the mass may be the tip of the iceberg. While Webb has allowed researchers to measure dust cooler than ever before, there may be undetected, colder dust radiating even farther into the electromagnetic spectrum that remains obscured by the outermost layers of dust.

 

The researchers emphasized that the new findings are also just a hint at newfound research capabilities into supernovae and their dust production using Webb, and what that can tell us about the stars from which they came.

 

“There’s a growing excitement to understand what this dust also implies about the core of the star that exploded,” Fox said. “After looking at these particular findings, I think our fellow researchers are going to be thinking of innovative ways to work with these dusty supernovae in the future.”

 

SN 2004et and SN2017eaw are the first of five targets included in this program. The observations were completed as part of Webb General Observer program 2666. The paper was published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society on July 5.

 

The James Webb Space Telescope is the world's premier space science observatory. Webb will solve mysteries in our solar system, look beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probe the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency), and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).

  

This image of NGC 6946 highlighting two supernovae, SN 2004et and SN 2017eaw, by Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Camera), shows compass arrows, scale bar, and color key for reference.The north and east compass arrows show the orientation of the image on the sky. The scale bar is labeled 2,600 light-years.This image shows invisible mid-infrared wavelengths of light that have been translated into visible-light colors. The color key shows which MIRI filters were used when collecting the light. The color of each filter name is the visible light color used to represent the infrared light that passes through that filter.In these images, blue, green, and red were assigned to Webb’s MIRI data at 10; 11.3, 12.8, and 15.0; and 18 and 21 microns (F1000W; F1130W, F1280W, and F1500W; and F1800W and F2100W, respectively).

CREDIT

Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ori Fox (STScI), Melissa Shahbandeh (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

---

JOURNAL

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

First ultraviolet data collected by ESA’s JUICE mission

SwRI-led UVS instrument demonstrated en route to Jupiter system

Business Announcement

SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE

 

IMAGE: THE SWRI-LED ULTRAVIOLET SPECTROGRAPH (UVS) ABOARD ESA’S JUPITER ICY MOONS EXPLORER, JUICE, HAS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED ITS INITIAL COMMISSIONING FOLLOWING THE SPACECRAFT’S APRIL 14 LAUNCH. THIS SEGMENT OF JUICE-UVS DATA SHOWS A SWATH OF THE SOUTHERN SKY, REVEALING MANY UV-BRIGHT STARS IN THE MILKY WAY NEAR THE SOUTHERN CONSTELLATION CARINA ON THE LEFT. THE CLOUD-LIKE STRUCTURE ON THE RIGHT IS A NEARBY GALAXY CALLED THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD. view more 

CREDIT: ESA/NASA/SWRI/P. MOLYNEUX/M. VERSTEEG/S. FERRELL/T. GREATHOUSE/M. DAVIS

SAN ANTONIO — July 5, 2023 —The Southwest Research Institute-led Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) aboard ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) spacecraft has successfully completed its initial commissioning following the April 14 launch. The UVS instrument is one of three instrument projects comprising NASA’s contribution to the JUICE mission. The mission’s science goals focus on Jupiter and its system, making multiple flybys of the planet’s large, ocean-bearing satellites with a particular emphasis on investigating Ganymede as a potentially habitable planetary body.

UVS is one of 10 science instruments and 11 investigations for the JUICE spacecraft. The mission has overarching goals of investigating potentially habitable worlds around the gas giant and studying the Jupiter system as an archetype for gas giants in our solar system and beyond. As it begins a roundabout 4.1-billion-mile (6.6-billion-kilometer), eight-year journey to the Jupiter system, the spacecraft has been busy deploying and activating its antennas, booms, sensors and instruments to check out and commission all its important subsystems. SwRI’s UVS instrument is the latest to succeed in this task.

“Our team of SwRI scientists traveled to Darmstadt, Germany, to put JUICE-UVS through its paces,” said Dr. Randy Gladstone, JUICE-UVS principal investigator. “On June 20, we opened the UVS aperture door to collect UV light from space for the first time. Soon after, we observed a swath of the sky to verify the instrument was performing well.” The team imaged a segment of this data, as the instrument scanned a swath of the Milky Way.

SwRI has provided ultraviolet spectrographs for other spacecraft, including ESA’s Rosetta comet orbiter, as well as NASA’s New Horizons mission to Pluto, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission in orbit around the Moon and Juno mission to Jupiter.

“JUICE-UVS is the fifth in this series, and it benefits greatly from the design experience gained by our team from the Juno-UVS instrument, launched in 2011, as it pertains to operating in Jupiter’s harsh radiation environment," said Steven Persyn, program manager for UVS. “Each successive instrument we build is more capable than its predecessor.”

Weighing just over 40 pounds and drawing only 7.5 watts of power, UVS is smaller than a microwave oven, yet this powerful instrument will determine the relative concentrations of various elements and molecules in the atmospheres of Jupiter’s moons once in the Jovian system. A similar instrument, Europa-UVS, will launch in 2024 aboard NASA’s Europa Clipper, which will take a more direct route to arrive at the Jupiter system 15 months before JUICE and focus on studying the potential habitability of Europa.

“Having two UVS instruments making measurements in the Jupiter system at roughly the same time will offer exciting complementary science possibilities,” said Dr. Kurt Retherford, principal investigator of Europa-UVS and deputy PI for JUICE-UVS.

Aboard JUICE, UVS will get close-up views of the Galilean moons Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, all thought to host liquid water beneath their icy surfaces. UVS will record ultraviolet light emitted, transmitted and reflected by these bodies, revealing the composition of their surfaces and tenuous atmospheres and how they interact with Jupiter and its giant magnetosphere. Additional scientific goals include observations of Jupiter itself as well as the gases from its volcanic moon Io that spread throughout the Jovian magnetosphere.

JUICE is the first large-class mission in ESA’s Cosmic Vision 2015–2025 program. The spacecraft and science instruments were built by teams from 15 European countries, Japan and the United States. SwRI’s UVS instrument team includes additional scientists from the University of Colorado Boulder, the SETI institute, the University of Leicester (U.K.), Imperial College London (U.K.), the University of Liège (Belgium), the Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden) and the Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (France). The Planetary Missions Program Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center oversees the UVS contribution to ESA through the agency’s Solar System Exploration Program. The JUICE spacecraft was developed by Airbus Defence and Space.  

For more information, visit https://www.swri.org/planetary-science.