Searching for Life-As-We-Don't-Know-It: Mission-relevant Application of Assembly Theory for Exoplanet Life Detection

This white paper introduces a framework for applying Assembly Theory to planetary atmospheres as a biosignature framework suitable for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). It quantifies the combinatorial complexity of molecular species to measure encoded selection and evolution, offering a novel approach to exoplanet life detection without specific biochemical assumptions, thus broadening the search for life beyond Earth.