Parametrization and Quantification of Selective Constraints in Prebiotic Experiments

Develop a principled framework to parametrise and quantify the selective constraints present in prebiotic chemistry experiments—including the use of purified reagents, controlled process conditions, yield control, and introduction of high–assembly index reagents—to enable standardized reporting and rigorous discrimination between abiotic assembly and selection-driven assembly within Assembly Theory.

Background

The authors note that molecules with assembly index above the abiotic threshold (e.g., a > 15) are sometimes reported in prebiotic chemistry experiments. They argue these experiments inherently include selection through choices like reagent purity, process control, and introduction of complex reagents, complicating interpretation of results relative to abiotic bounds.

To reconcile experimental observations with AT’s abiotic thresholds and to design minimally selective experiments that could demonstrate genuine de novo emergence of novelty and life, a quantitative parametrization of these selective constraints is required. The authors explicitly state this need as an open question.