There, he studied how we could detect life on other planets like Mars by studying extraterrestrial soils for microbial life. To do this, Chappelle invented an important assay that scientists still use today — the ATP fluorescent assay.
This laboratory tool uses detects living cells using the same proteins that fireflies make to glow, and it continues to be used by researchers around the world. When combined, these chemicals will produce light as long as there is also Adenosine triphosphate ATP present. ATP is a chemical that acts as the currency for all living organisms and provides chemical energy for reactions like bioluminescence within a cell.
If the cell is alive, ATP will be present and would glow in this assay. In , he joined the National Aeronautics and Space Administration at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, as a research chemist, and later became a remote sensing scientist, studying natural systems to improve environmental management.
Chappelle retired from NASA in Some of Chappelle's most interesting work was in the area of luminescence, which is light without heat. While designing instruments for the Mars Viking spacecraft, he became interested in bioluminescence, which is warm light produced by living organisms. Chappelle used two chemicals from fireflies which give off light when mixed with ATP adenosine triphosphate , an energy storage compound found in all living cells. This could provide a method of detecting life on Mars.
Emmett Chappelle was able to prove that the number of bacteria in semen can be measured by the amount of light given off by that bacteria. He also showed how satellites can monitor luminescence levels to monitor crops, including their growth rates, water conditions and harvest timing.
Throughout his career, he has continued to mentor talented minority high school and college students in his laboratories. There is a well-documented trend of growth among black or African American female medical school graduates. While most African Americans were part of the hardworking labor forces in agriculture and industry, a small percentage were hard at work creating inventions that helped transform America.
Google Plus. Read about the great African Americans who fought in wars. Read more. Thin jazz, think art, think of great actors and find them here.
Follow the history of Black Americans from slave ships to the presidency. Olympic winners, MVPS of every sport, and people who broke the color barrier. These men and women risked and sometimes lost their life to fight for the cause. Chappelle's method for identifying ATP is unique in that it works outside of earth's atmosphere—meaning it could, in theory, be used to identify extraterrestrial life.
The field of exobiology—the study of life beyond the planet Earth—owes much to Chappelle's work. The scientist himself, in an interview with The HistoryMakers, said he is inclined to believe there is life beyond Earth: "I think it's likely. It's not life as we know it here on Earth. But I think it's likely that there's, there are organisms up there that reproduce.
Along with his 14 U. He has co-authored and edited numerous other publications on a variety of subjects. Throughout his career, he has mentored talented minority high school and college students in his laboratories. In , Chappelle was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his work on bioluminescence.
He is often included on lists of the most important scientists of the 20th century. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. In charge of developing instruments used to scrape soil from Mars on NASA's Viking probe, Chappelle realized how chemicals gave off a measurable light when mixed with materials containing living cells.
He applied this to detect bacteria in urine, blood, spinal fluids, drinking water, and foods. Chappelle also advanced the development of laser-induced fluorescence as a means to detect plant stress. This technique allows scientists to determine the health of crops and measure their productivity based on the amount of light they emit.
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