Nah. The natural pivot is from “we have never observed abiogenesis” to “see? Life required a creator.”

You can’t win

Thomas Aquinas made the argument that all life comes from other life in the 13th Century. I wouldn't classify it as a modern pivot so much as one of the central philosophical arguments for the existence of a Creator.

Aye, but this will let us gradually work towards more and more basic cell forms, so that we can eventually figure out abiogenesis.