The design of a device for nucleic acid detection in the Martian ice caps is presented; the Just Add Water System (JAWS). It is based on fiber-optic PNA (peptide nucleic acid) light up probe random microsphere universal array technology. JAWS is designed to be part of a larger system with a regulation of pH and salt concentrations e.g. the MOD systems and could be installed on a planetary probe melting its way down the Martian ice caps e.g. the NASA Cryobot. JAWS can be used for detection of remains of ancient life preserved in the Martian ice as well as for detection of contamination brought to the planet from Earth.