Explorations of extraterrestrial landscapes, primarily aimed at discerning evidence of past life and potential life-sustaining conditions, currently rely on highly specialized techniques to detect specific biomolecular signatures. Such intricate methods, which involve complex automated analytical platforms, often result in escalating mission costs and increased susceptibility to failures, including mechanical breakdowns, crash landings, vehicle losses during launch, communication breakdowns, and instrument malfunctions. There is, therefore, a growing imperative for the development of streamlined, highly specific, and definitive assays involving minimal procedural steps to bolster exploratory tests' effectiveness and mitigate associated risks. This thesis introduces a set of solutions designed to address these challenges: single step, ultrasensitive assays capable of detecting biomolecular indicators of life in Martian soil simulants. These assays are fine-tuned to identify an array of life signals, encompassing proteins, nucleic acids (with an emphasis on DNA), microorganisms, and metabolites such as lipids and reduced thiols. The assays' functionality and effectiveness have been verified using clays and JSC Mars-1A Martian Regolith Simulant, a simulated Martian soil sample that mimics the Martian environment. The primary objective of this study is to augment existing detection methodologies, thereby enhancing sensitivity and simplifying assay procedures, rendering them more suitable for incorporation into space exploration missions. The findings underscore the assays' proficiency in detecting and quantifying low levels of biomolecules. These ultrasensitive assays, therefore, have the potential to significantly boost our capacity to discover life on other planets, such as Mars, and expand our understanding of life's origins within the cosmos.