If bacteria were to be found, high-speed bacterial impact would cause shock or heat lysis of the cells, destroying the physical structure but still releasing more stable chemical components and metabolites for analysis.
Regardless of impact, lysis will likely result from differences in osmotic pressure between our water buffer solution and the cell interior, which would be adapted to a very salty Enceladus ocean environment.
PLUME DENSITY
Plume density estimates vary with plume width, pass altitude and time.
A recent estimated plume column density of about 3 μL/m2 at 50 km altitude, giving a small yet easily detectable sample given the high sensitivity of the EOA instrument.