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To test the potential of using amino acid abundances as a biosignature at icyocean worlds, we investigate whether primordial amino acids (accreted or formedby early aqueous processes) could persist until the present time. By examiningthe decomposition kinetics of amino acids in aqueous solution based on existinglaboratory rate data, we find that all fourteen proteinogenic amino acidsconsidered in this study decompose to a very large extent (>99.9%) overrelatively short lengths of time in hydrothermally active oceans. Therefore, asa rule of thumb, we suggest that if amino acids are detected at Enceladus,Europa, or other hydrothermally active ocean worlds above a concentration of 1nM, they should have been formed recently and not be relicts of earlyprocesses. In particular, the detection of aspartic acid (Asp) and threonine(Thr) would strongly suggest active production within the ocean, as these aminoacids cannot persist beyond 1 billion years even at the freezing pointtemperature of 273K. Identifying amino acids from the oceans of icy worlds canprovide key insight into their history of organic chemistry.

Decomposition of Amino Acids in Water with Application to In-Situ Measurements of Enceladus, Europa and Other Hydrothermally Active Icy Ocean Worlds