Fatty acids are an important signature of life as we know it. In combination with other environmental measurements, their detection can be a significant marker of extraterrestrial life. Our team is developing a method to separate fatty acids from within complex, icy samples to enable improved detection by an instrument downstream. In this presentation, we will share results from experiments performed to evaluate the separation efficiencies for samples containing salts, fatty acids, and other complex compositions, similar to those expected in planetary environments. Engineering considerations for a flight-like device will also be discussed.