Quantum Biology & Its Future Landscapes

Quantum effects are subtle. The fundamental unit of quantum mechanics has the very small value of ~ ≈ ۱۰−۳۴J/s. In addition, quantum effects, like superposition and entanglement, are easily destroyed by interaction with the environment. This explains why we usually do not observe quantum effects in the macroscopic world. A rule of thumb is the (in)famous kBT argument, stating that whenever the interaction energies are smaller than room temperature, quantum effects cannot persist. However, as quantum mechanical laws are fundamental, in special situations the consequences of quantum mechanics can be macroscopic. The explanation of the photoelectric effect (۱) revealed the quantized nature of energy carriers (photons) and the importance of energy levels. But what about quantum effects in biology? For a long time, the prevailing view was that in ’warm and wet’ biological systems quantum effects cannot survive beyond the trivial, i.e., explaining the stability of molecules. In the first part of this introduction, I will explain why the kBT argument fails. There might be similarities to the question how weak electrical and magnetic fields can have an influence on biological systems, see (۲) for more details. In the second part I will briefly outline how quantum effects can be harnessed in biological systems. Examples include ion channels, photosynthesis and the olfactory sense, which are not covered in this thesis. Idiscuss in more detail. the avian magneto reception and special mutagenic events in DNA. Also, Schrodinger’s cat will not be rescued here.

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