Protobiosignatures in the framework of early life detection
Seán F. Jordan
Nature Astronomy, Published online: 21 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41550-026-02867-w Experimental investigations of biomorphs — abiotic structures that mimic the morphology of life — provide essential control data for biosignature interpretation. On planets where chemistry never quite became life, these experiments may hold the key for detecting and understanding extraterrestrial origin of life scenarios.