Quantum Biology Using Ultrafast Integrative and Molecular Engineering Tools: A Perspective

Quantum biology is the study of how quantum-mechanical effects influence living systems, and hence, it is an advanced interdisciplinary field that integrates biology, physics, chemistry, and mathematics. While the belief that quantum phenomena such as entanglement, tunneling, and coherence exist only in the domain of physical sciences persisted for a long time, recent evidence suggests that their presence in biology should not be overlooked. In the past decade, there have been important advancements in ultrafast structural techniques, such as x-ray free-electron lasers and ultrafast electron diffraction (scattering), which complement optical spectroscopy methods. Historically, ultrafast optical spectroscopy has played a key role in unraveling the mysteries of quantum biology. In this context, integrative ultrafast methods should be utilized to demonstrate and validate quantum events in biology. Furthermore, we emphasize that recent advancements in protein structure prediction and engineering using machine learning can identify and test quantum effects in biology.