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This invention enhances the performance of the ExCALiBR (Extractor for Chemical Analysis of Lipid Biomarkers in Regolith) life detection instrument by introducing an improved method for performing thin layer chromatography (TLC) on unknown chemical samples to separate component chemicals for spectrometric analysis. The key feature of this system is enabling lateral flow TLC on a horizontally oriented plate within a sealed environment, in contrast with a typically upright configuration with one end of a TLC plate inserted into a solvent. It uses controlled heating and cooling to manage solvent condensation and evaporation, generating a continuous solvent flow that improves analyte separation. In this system, heating the TLC plate causes the solvent to evaporate, which in turn drives additional capillary flow toward the region where evaporation occurs. When this evaporation front reaches the end of the plate, the system enables the solvent to continue migrating beyond the point where it would normally stop. As a result, the analyte can continue to separate even after the initial solvent front has reached the plate’s physical boundary. The design also allows re concentration of diffused analyte bands and reversal of solvent flow direction to re separate bands that may have merged.