When it comes to the search for life elsewhere in the universe, methane and other chemical compounds are seen as signs of biology because they are often produced by living microbes. However, scientists can be misled because certain geological processes can produce chemical signatures identical to those of living organisms.

To help identify true biological signals and reduce the risk of false detections, researchers have developed a framework that models what a planet’s chemistry looks like without life.

Their research is published in the journal Nature Astronomy.