BREAKING THE WALL OF QUANTUM LIFE

How quantum biology lays the groundwork for organic technology

Birgitta Whaley

Physical Sciences

Birds are perhaps one of the oldest subjects of human study. From marvelling at their effortless flight to mapping their transcontinental journeys – with the advance of scientific progress, we have gained ever deeper insights into their biology. One of the most recent discoveries now shows yet another astonishing facet: quantum mechanisms at work in the eyes of certain bird species may underlie their ability to navigate along the earth’s magnetic field. The plant world is also revealing quantum secrets, as new probes reveal that the highly efficient conversion of sunlight to electronic energy in photosynthesis also relies on a quantum dynamics. UC Berkeley professor Birgitta Whaley, one of the leading figures in the relatively young field of quantum biology, explores phenomena like these, happening at the intersection of quantum physics, chemistry and life sciences. This intersection has been recognized since the 1940s, when Erwin Schrödinger published a book on bio-physics titled What is Life?, but it was only in the last decade that researchers have made a number of ground breaking discoveries on quantum systems active in living organisms such as plants and bacteria. By studying the underlying mechanisms, they hope to gain clues for designing highly efficient “biological” quantum devices. At Falling Walls, Birgitta demonstrates the status quo of quantum biology studies and the possibilities they unleash for organic quantum technologies of the future.