Quantum biology

Neill Lambert; Yueh Nan Chen; Yuan Chung Cheng; Che Ming Li; Guang Yin Chen; Franco Nori

doi:10.1038/nphys2474

Quantum biology

Neill Lambert
, Yueh Nan Chen
, Yuan Chung Cheng
, Che Ming Li
, Guang Yin Chen
, Franco Nori

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

827 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Recent evidence suggests that a variety of organisms may harness some of the unique features of quantum mechanics to gain a biological advantage. These features go beyond trivial quantum effects and may include harnessing quantum coherence on physiologically important timescales. In this brief review we summarize the latest results for non-trivial quantum effects in photosynthetic light harvesting, avian magnetoreception and several other candidates for functional quantum biology. We present both the evidence for and arguments against there being a functional role for quantum coherence in these systems.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	10-18
Number of pages	9
Journal	Nature Physics
Volume	9
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys2474
Publication status	Published - 2013 Jan

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Physics and Astronomy

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10.1038/nphys2474

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title = "Quantum biology",

abstract = "Recent evidence suggests that a variety of organisms may harness some of the unique features of quantum mechanics to gain a biological advantage. These features go beyond trivial quantum effects and may include harnessing quantum coherence on physiologically important timescales. In this brief review we summarize the latest results for non-trivial quantum effects in photosynthetic light harvesting, avian magnetoreception and several other candidates for functional quantum biology. We present both the evidence for and arguments against there being a functional role for quantum coherence in these systems.",

author = "Neill Lambert and Chen, \{Yueh Nan\} and Cheng, \{Yuan Chung\} and Li, \{Che Ming\} and Chen, \{Guang Yin\} and Franco Nori",

note = "Funding Information: We thank A. Pisliakov, L. Valkunas, E. Gauger, P. Nation, S. Darroch, I. Mahboob, A. Y. Smirnov, A. Ishizaki, K. Jacobs and S. De Liberato for helpful discussions and feedback. Y-C.C. thanks the National Science Council, Taiwan (Grant No. NSC 100-2113-M-002-004-MY2), the National Taiwan University (Grant No. 10R80912-5) and the Center for Quantum Science and Engineering (Subproject: 10R80914-1) for financial support. Y-N.C. thanks the National Science Council, Taiwan (Grant No. NSC 101-2628-M-006-003-MY3) for financial support. F.N. acknowledges partial support from the ARO, JSPS-RFBR contract No. 12-02-92100, MEXT Kakenhi on Quantum Cybernetics and the JSPS-FIRST Program. C-M.L thanks the National Science Council, Taiwan (No. NSC 101-2112-M-006-016-MY3, No. NSC 101-2738-M-006-005 and No. NSC 103-2911-I-006 -301) for financial support.",

year = "2013",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1038/nphys2474",

language = "English",

volume = "9",

pages = "10--18",

journal = "Nature Physics",

issn = "1745-2473",

publisher = "Nature Research",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Quantum biology

AU - Lambert, Neill

AU - Chen, Yueh Nan

AU - Cheng, Yuan Chung

AU - Li, Che Ming

AU - Chen, Guang Yin

AU - Nori, Franco

N1 - Funding Information: We thank A. Pisliakov, L. Valkunas, E. Gauger, P. Nation, S. Darroch, I. Mahboob, A. Y. Smirnov, A. Ishizaki, K. Jacobs and S. De Liberato for helpful discussions and feedback. Y-C.C. thanks the National Science Council, Taiwan (Grant No. NSC 100-2113-M-002-004-MY2), the National Taiwan University (Grant No. 10R80912-5) and the Center for Quantum Science and Engineering (Subproject: 10R80914-1) for financial support. Y-N.C. thanks the National Science Council, Taiwan (Grant No. NSC 101-2628-M-006-003-MY3) for financial support. F.N. acknowledges partial support from the ARO, JSPS-RFBR contract No. 12-02-92100, MEXT Kakenhi on Quantum Cybernetics and the JSPS-FIRST Program. C-M.L thanks the National Science Council, Taiwan (No. NSC 101-2112-M-006-016-MY3, No. NSC 101-2738-M-006-005 and No. NSC 103-2911-I-006 -301) for financial support.

PY - 2013/1

Y1 - 2013/1

N2 - Recent evidence suggests that a variety of organisms may harness some of the unique features of quantum mechanics to gain a biological advantage. These features go beyond trivial quantum effects and may include harnessing quantum coherence on physiologically important timescales. In this brief review we summarize the latest results for non-trivial quantum effects in photosynthetic light harvesting, avian magnetoreception and several other candidates for functional quantum biology. We present both the evidence for and arguments against there being a functional role for quantum coherence in these systems.

AB - Recent evidence suggests that a variety of organisms may harness some of the unique features of quantum mechanics to gain a biological advantage. These features go beyond trivial quantum effects and may include harnessing quantum coherence on physiologically important timescales. In this brief review we summarize the latest results for non-trivial quantum effects in photosynthetic light harvesting, avian magnetoreception and several other candidates for functional quantum biology. We present both the evidence for and arguments against there being a functional role for quantum coherence in these systems.

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U2 - 10.1038/nphys2474

DO - 10.1038/nphys2474

M3 - Review article

AN - SCOPUS:84871606833

SN - 1745-2473

VL - 9

SP - 10

EP - 18

JO - Nature Physics

JF - Nature Physics

IS - 1

ER -

Quantum biology

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