Researchers at Berlin University of Technology have developed a simple test that detects the movement of microorganisms. It could significantly facilitate the search for life on Mars and other planets. 

 The test was described in “Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences”. It is based on the phenomenon of chemotaxis, the movement of microorganisms in response to the presence of certain chemicals. 

 The researchers tested three types of microorganisms – two bacteria and one type of archaeon. They found that they all moved toward a chemical called L-serine. The researchers believe that microbes in space could be searched for in a similar way.