At a Glance
- Researchers at Howard University discovered that living organisms may process information using quantum superradiance, potentially enabling biological systems to compute billions of times faster than previously believed.
- The team focused on tryptophan molecules found in proteins, forming efficient quantum networks in structures like microtubules and amyloid fibrils, processing light energy in a picosecond.
- Even simple life forms such as bacteria and fungi appear to use quantum-based mechanisms to perform complex calculations, suggesting that quantum information processing could be universal across all life.
- These findings could transform how scientists search for life beyond Earth, implying that extraterrestrial organisms might also rely on quantum effects for biological computations.
- The research has sparked interest in quantum technology, as the stable quantum effects in biology could inspire new approaches for building more resilient and efficient quantum computers.
In a groundbreaking study, researchers at the Quantum Biology Laboratory (QBL) at Howard University have discovered that life on Earth may be processing information in a way that rivals quantum computers. By applying the principles of quantum mechanics, the researchers have identified a new way that biological systems, including plants, bacteria, and animals, process information using quantum superradiance. This discovery, whose findings were published in Science Advances, suggests that the molecular structures in living organisms may be capable of performing computations billions of times faster than previously thought.
The research focuses on the role of an amino acid called tryptophan, which is found in many proteins. When tryptophan absorbs ultraviolet light, it re-emits it at a lower energy. The team found that large networks of tryptophan molecules form in structures like microtubules and amyloid fibrils, where they can efficiently use quantum effects to process information. This superradiance process happens in a picosecond, or a millionth of a microsecond, allowing cells to process data far faster than chemical signaling alone.
By expanding their analysis to include all life forms, the researchers found that even aneural organisms—such as bacteria and fungi—perform sophisticated calculations. This opens up new ways to think about the computational capacity of life on Earth, suggesting that all life forms may have a quantum-based advantage when processing information. The discovery also has exciting implications for the search for life beyond Earth, as similar quantum effects could exist in extraterrestrial organisms.
This finding has sparked interest in quantum computing, in addition to its biological significance. Researchers in quantum technology have noted that the resilience of these biological quantum effects could provide valuable insights into how to create more robust quantum computers. This study advances our understanding of how life works at the molecular level and bridges the gap between biological systems and the cutting-edge technology of quantum computing.
References
- Kurian, P. (2025). Computational capacity of life in relation to the universe. Science Advances, 11(13), eadt4623. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adt4623
- Howard University. (2025, March 28). Physicist revisits the computational limits of life and Schrödinger’s essential question in the era of quantum computing. Phys.Org; Howard University. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-physicist-revisits-limits-life-schrdinger.html
