Quantum biology

Jianming Cai

Robert Rosén

The computation of the properties of biological molecules has long been the most visible part of “quantum biology”. However, there is good reason to believe that these data cannot, by themselves, allow us to understand the deep properties of biological organization. It is pointed out that the quantum theory itself allows many modes of analysis which are distinct from those employed in quantum chemistry, and that these other modes are in fact implicated in basic biological interactions. Thus there is nothing “un-physical” about them, even though they differ from those conventionally employed in quantum-theoretical approaches to biology.

June Kinoshita

inquantio

A study published on arXiv provides a structured narrative evidence map of the three complementary directions where quantum science and biology intersect: 'quantum in biology', 'quantum for biology', and 'biology for quantum'. It highlights hydrogen tunneling in enzymes and the radical-pair mechanism for magnetoreception as representative cases of quantum in biology. For quantum for biology, it analyzes how quantum sensing and imaging tools can improve biological inference. It also illuminates biology for quantum, which utilizes biomolecular self-assembly to enhance the performance of quantum devices, and presents a comprehensive benchmark to compare the current evidence and alternatives in each area. [Quantum Biology Society] As we enter the 21st century, the convergence of quantum physics and the life sciences is moving beyond mere curiosity to establish itself as a substantial scientific paradigm. A recent paper published on the preprint repository arXiv, titled "Quantum in Biology, Quantum for Biology, and Biology for Quantum: Mapping the Evidence and the Road Ahead," clearly defines the three core areas where these two disciplines intersect. It provides a first-of-its-kind structured narrative evidence map that compiles the technological claims and experimental evidence of each field. A multinational collaborative research team led by Professor Travis J. A. Craddock of the University of Waterloo in Canada and Professor Francesco Petruccione of Stellenbosch University in South Africa published this extensive review. ■ Quantum in Nature and Quantum Tools Illuminating Biology The first pillar presented in this paper, 'Quantum in biology', deals with instances where quantum mechanics directly intervenes in the natural biological phenomena of living organisms. The most scientifically mature evidence highlighted includes the quantum tunneling of hydrogen in enzyme catalysis and the radical-pair spin chemistry mechanism that enables magnetoreception in birds. The second pillar, 'Quantum for biology', explores the application of cutting-edge quantum tools to the life sciences. The core question analyzed in this area is whether quantum technologies—such as quantum computing, quantum sensing, and quantum imaging—can provide significantly more precise biological inference and resolution beyond existing classical baselines, even under realistic biological constraints. ■ Living Organisms as the Foundation for Quantum Technology The final third pillar, 'Biology for quantum', is an innovative approach that utilizes biological systems in reverse to develop quantum technologies. The paper evaluates that the strongest claims in this field arise when the sophisticated structure or self-assembly capabilities unique to biomolecules are used to measurably improve the fabrication, integration, and robustness of artificial quantum devices. This monumental review paper holds great significance as it presents a macroscopic roadmap for the emerging interdisciplinary field of quantum biology. It establishes a powerful benchmark that allows for the at-a-glance comparison and verification of the current evidence levels and competitive alternative models in each specific subfield. #QuantumBiology #QuantumScience #LifeScience #InterdisciplinaryConvergence #EvidenceMap #QuantumSensing #QuantumLifeScience #QuantumTools #FutureScience #KoreanSocietyOfQuantumBiology https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.00205

Lea Gassab, Betony Adams, Yashine H. Goolam Hossen +7 more

Quantum science and biology now intersect in three complementary directions: quantum in biology, quantum for biology, and biology for quantum. This review provides a structured narrative evidence map of that interface rather than an exhaustive catalogue or formal systematic review. For each topic, we ask what the mechanistic or technological claim is, which quantum resource is invoked, what the strongest experiments and models establish, which classical alternatives or engineering confounds remain competitive, and what decisive tests or benchmarks would most strongly change confidence. The most mature quantum-in-biology cases remain mechanistically constrained tunneling in some enzymatic hydrogen-transfer reactions and radical-pair spin chemistry as a viable framework for magnetoreception, whereas several higher-visibility topics remain suggestive but unresolved under physiological conditions. In quantum for biology, the central issue is whether quantum-enabled tools improve biological inference relative to strong classical baselines under realistic calibration, dose, throughput, and uncertainty constraints. In biology for quantum, the strongest claims arise when biomolecular structure or self-assembly measurably improves fabrication, integration, or robustness in quantum devices. Summary tables in the Appendix provide a compact cross-map view of the current evidence, major confounds, and the experiments or benchmarks most likely to discriminate between competing explanations.

Hafiz Md. Hasan Babu