Quantum Biology

A relatively new field of research

Sep 29, 2023

Hiya!

Nature is multidimensional. Beyond the individual categories we study — like physics, biology, or chemistry — there are also two levels of Nature that follow different sets of rules: the macro, or large scale level, and the tiny quantum one. Subjects like chemistry and physics are rooted in quantum mechanics, while biology is more often studied using classical mechanics in the larger realm.

Yet, at the source, all living systems are governed by quantum physics on the atomic scale — everything is. Over the last few decades, scientists have made massive progress in learning about biological systems at increasingly tiny scales. Experts now know how to manipulate some of these systems, like with genetic engineering, but despite our rapid progress, we have no idea the extent to which quantum effects influence biological systems.

Quantum Effects in Biology

The motion of macroscopic objects (anything we can see with our naked eye) all obey the laws of Classical Mechanics in physics. These rules help us track the motion of things like an airplane’s path or a planet’s rotation. However, it’s well known that the laws of classical mechanics fall apart when applied to atomic scales.

Things like atoms and molecules on the quantum level obey a different set of laws called quantum mechanics, which achieve things that seem magical compared to the classical world. For instance, superposition allows particles to be in two places at once, and electrons “tunnel” through tiny energy barriers like ghosts walking through walls.

So now scientists want to know:

“Does this atomic scale matter in biology? Does life need quantum mechanics? In other words, can quantum mechanics play a fundamental role and have a physiological impact in biology?”

Quantum Biology

I know a single cell seems tiny, and it is, but to put this all in perspective, one human cell is estimated to have 10¹⁴ atoms — or 100,000,000,000,000 atoms, or 100 trillion atoms.

Typically, quantum effects of atoms and molecules are expected to disappear in the “warm, wet environment of the cell,” as described by the physicist Erwin Schrödinger. Quantum engineer and assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California in Los Angeles, Clarice D. Aiello, explains in the Conversation:

“To most physicists, the fact that the living world operates at elevated temperatures and in complex environments implies that biology can be adequately and fully described by classical physics.”

However, many scientists, especially chemists, are finding evidence that Nature harnesses quantum mechanics for optimal performance on a classical level.

So, when talking about quantum effects in biology, I’m referring to phenomena occurring between atoms and molecules on the quantum level that classical mechanics can not explain.

For instance, research looking at fundamental chemical reactions at room temperature repeatedly shows quantum effects influence processes within biomolecules like genetic materials or proteins. This suggests that rather than simply disappearing into a cell, quantum-level events appear to drive at least some macroscopic biological functions.

Additional research further supports the concept. Now, experts believe quantum effects influence a living system’s ability to sense magnetic fields and regulate enzymes, in addition to affecting cell metabolism and more.

Uncharted Territory

Quantum biology is still a relatively new research field, and we have much to learn. Unsurprisingly, many concepts revolving around quantum biology are strongly criticized, but arguments against it are falling by the wayside as the pile of evidence supporting it grows.

The idea that such subtle quantum effects can influence biological processes is exciting, but learning more about it will be anything but simple. In her article in The Conversation, Aiello explains the challenges quantum biologists face:

“Studying quantum mechanical effects in biology requires tools that can measure the short time scales, small length scales and subtle differences in quantum states that give rise to physiological changes – all integrated within a traditional wet lab environment.”

If we manage to create the necessary technology, the possibilities of quantum biology are endless. Aiello even goes so far as to suggest that someday, we might be able to “control physiological processes by using the quantum properties of biological matter.”

Beyond the research labs, quantum biology could help us create noninvasive therapeutic treatments, like using electromagnetic remedies to treat or prevent brain tumors or increase lab-grown meat production with biomanufacturing.

The very existence of quantum biology suggests that our understanding of life and how it works is wholly incomplete. Further research could lead us to even more exciting or potentially terrifying places.

For instance, perhaps a better understanding of the intersection of physics and biology will teach us more about consciousness. Meanwhile, further research into the influence quantum biology has on biological systems could show scientists how to control biological systems remotely. But, at the very least, it’ll improve quantum technologies.

Perspective Shift

Reading scientific journals these days is a bit like reading science fiction, except I suppose it’s more like science nonfiction. We’ve spent the last few centuries, longer even, focused on understanding our shared, objective, physical world.

In the process, we’ve divided and subdivided it into specific categories — physics, chemistry, biology, etc. This is all necessary and good, but now… now, we’re combining subjects and, in the process, glimpsing whole new layers of life.

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