Biopigments as detectable biosignatures

Microbial pigments and cloud‑borne bioparticles can imprint distinctive, wavelength‑dependent color signals on a planet’s disk‑integrated spectrum. On hazy or cloudy worlds, aerosols and slant path scattering may amplify such spectral coloration, making cloudy exoplanets promising targets for biosignature searches with upcoming telescopes. — If validated, this reframes target selection and instrument design for life‑search missions and changes public expectations about where and when we might detect extraterrestrial life.