Bacterial spores (endospores) have been shown to be highly resistant to UV, heat and chemical treatments, making them important biomarkers for sterility and bioterrorism. Dipicolinic acid (DPA) is a major component of spores, and is speculated to help protect the cell's DNA, as well as facilitate germination. Furthermore, DPA is a spore-specific molecule, so the presence of DPA is a clear indicator of endospores. Our lab uses terbium (Tb) luminescence for the detection of DPA. Under UV excitation, Tb3+ ions alone are not very luminescent as this excitation is Laporte forbidden; however, upon complexation with DPA, bright green luminescence is easily observed. The spectra allows us to quantify an amount of DPA, which, in turn, corresponds to a number of spores. This method of endospore detection could potentially be used to assess the sterilization of spacecraft, to fight bioterrorism, and to search for life in extreme environments.