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Biosystems

Biological complexity, quantum coherent states and the problem of efficient transmission of information inside a cell

Alexey V. Melkikh

Published Feb 21, 2013• 28 citations
Publisher
DOI
10.1016/j.biosystems.2013.02.005

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We describe an approach to quantum computer inspired by the information processing at the molecular level in living cells. It is based on the separation of a small ensemble of qubits inside the living system (e.g., a bacterial cell), such that coherent quantum states of this ensemble remain practically unchanged for a long time. We use the notion of a quantum kernel to describe such an ensemble. Quantum kernel is not strictly connected with certain particles; it permanently exchanges atoms and molecules with the environment, which makes quantum kernel a virtual notion. There are many reasons to expect that the state of quantum kernel of a living system can be treated as the stationary state of some Hamiltonian. While the quantum kernel is responsible for the stability of dynamics at the time scale of cellular life, at the longer inter-generation time scale it can change, varying smoothly in the course of biological evolution. To the first level of approximation, quantum kernel can be described in the framework of qubit modification of Jaynes-Cummings-Hubbard model, in which the relaxation corresponds to the exchange of matter between quantum kernel and the rest of the cell and is represented as Lindblad super-operators.
This analysis addresses the critical decoherence paradox in quantum biology, where observed microsecond coherence times in living cells vastly exceed the nanosecond predictions of standard open quantum systems theory. The study synthesizes theoretical and empirical advancements, establishing that the information geometry of biological macromolecules provides the mechanism for long-lived quantum states, where cellular structures function as optimized topological constraints that actively harness environmental noise. Key theoretical frameworks integrated include the Quantum Fisher Information (QFI) metric, which quantifies biological coherence and sets absolute limits on sensory precision (e.g., avian magnetoreception), and the Entanglement-Weighted Operator Geometry (EWOG). EWOG is empirically validated to resolve the decoherence discrepancy by demonstrating that quantum entanglement dynamically modifies the effective Hamiltonian, achieving a calculated 58% suppression of decoherence in proteins like MagLOV2. Furthermore, the study applies Quantum Geometrical Molecular Dynamics (QGMD) to show that the non-Abelian quantum geometric tensor drives nonadiabatic enzymatic catalysis, enabling quantum mechanical tunneling to provide profound energetic advantages, such as reducing the required energy for proton transport in mitochondrial Complex I by over 55%. Also available on Academia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/attachments/132032425/download_file?s=portfolio