Quantum-mechanical effects with measurable biological function. Foundational experiments and theory: Fleming 2007 and Engel 2007 2D-electronic-spectroscopy of the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) complex reporting long-lived (~500 fs at cryo,…
quantum-biology
FMO complex: 2D-ES oscillations → long-lived coherence between exciton eigenstates
Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) complex is a 7-bacteriochlorophyll antenna in green sulphur bacteria that funnels excitation energy from the…
Avian radical-pair compass: cryptochrome photo-pair S↔T₀ mixing under Earth-field + hyperfine
Ritz-Schulten 2000 theoretical proposal for avian magnetoreception in migratory birds — notably European robin (Erithacus rubecula), garden…
Enzyme H-tunneling: Bell factor κ(H)/κ(D) ≫ 1 gives KIE beyond classical 7:1 ceiling
Classical transition-state theory (Eyring 1935) predicts a maximum H/D kinetic-isotope-effect of KIE = k_H/k_D ≈ 6.9 at 298 K, set by the…
FMO coherence dephasing: ρ_12(t) = ρ_12(0)·exp(-γ_φ t); τ_φ = 1/γ_φ
Secular Redfield / Lindblad master-equation treatment of pure dephasing on the FMO exciton coherence. In the site basis after…
Radical-pair: Φ_S = k_S/(k_S + k_T) under equilibrated S/T mixing
In the fast-spin-mixing limit where hyperfine + Zeeman dynamics equilibrate the singlet (S, population 1/4) and triplet (T: T_+, T_0, T_−,…
Primary H/D KIE: classical TST ≤ 7 at 298 K; Bell-factor amplification → 10–100
Primary H/D kinetic isotope effect for a single proton / hydride / H-atom transfer step: KIE = k_H/k_D. Under classical transition-state…
Forster dipole-dipole coupling: V_dd(R) ~ kappa^2/R^3; rate ~ kappa^4/R^6 via Laurent expansion
Forster resonance energy transfer via dipole-dipole coupling. Setup: donor (D) and acceptor (A) transition-dipoles mu_D, mu_A separated by…
Marcus nonadiabatic ET rate k = (2pi/hbar)|V|^2 (4pi*lambda*kT)^{-1/2} exp(-(dG+lambda)^2/4lambda*kT)
Marcus nonadiabatic electron-transfer rate. Setup: donor-acceptor ET pair with electronic coupling V, reorganisation energy lambda…
Schulten-Weller radical-pair: singlet/triplet Hamiltonian H = sum A_i*I_i*S; Fubini separable yield
Schulten-Weller radical-pair mechanism for avian magneto-reception. Setup: photo-excited radical pair (e.g., the FAD-TrpH cryptochrome…
FRET efficiency eta(R) = 1/(1+(R/R_0)^6); eta(R_0) = 1/2 (Forster-radius half-efficiency)
FRET crossover at the Forster radius. From framework F7 (dipole-dipole 1/R^6 Laurent-expansion), the energy-transfer rate k_FRET =…
Marcus inverted-region maximum: d(dG^dagger)/d(dG) = 0 at dG = -lambda; dG^dagger_min = 0
Marcus inverted-region maximum rate theorem. From framework F8, the activation free energy is delta-G^{dagger}(delta-G) = (delta-G +…
Radical-pair factorised yield: <Phi_s>_(theta,t) = <f>_theta * <g>_t (Fubini product-measure)
Radical-pair yield factorisation via Fubini. From framework F9 (Schulten-Weller Hamiltonian with separable angular and kinetic dependence),…
FMO photosynthesis (Engel 2007)
G Engel 2007 2D-spectroscopy FMO complex coherent-energy-transfer 200 fs at 77 K; controversial 'quantum-coherence-helps-photosynthesis'…
Radical-pair (Schulten 1978)
K Schulten 1978 radical-pair magnetoreception in birds via cryptochrome; modern Hore 2016 review; quantum-coherence + spin-correlated…
Enzyme tunneling (Kohen-Klinman)
Kohen-Klinman 1999 H-tunneling in enzymes; deuterium-isotope-effects + temperature-dependence; modern vibrationally-enhanced tunneling…
DNA tunneling (Lowdin 1963)
P-O Lowdin 1963 proton-tunneling in DNA bases as mutation source; modern Slocombe 2022 PCCP guanine-cytosine tunneling-rate calculations.
Vibrational olfaction (Turin 1996)
L Turin 1996 vibrational-spectroscopic-olfaction; controversial; isotopic odorant-discrimination evidence Block 2015 + Franco 2011…
Warburg + quantum-biology link
Warburg-effect quantum-aspects: mitochondrial-oxidative-phosphorylation Pollack 2013; controversial mechanistic claims; mainstream remains…
Schulten radical pair (1978)
K Schulten 1978 + Ritz 2000 radical-pair-magnetoreception cryptochrome; modern modern foundational + 2024 ML-confirmed-AVian…
Photosynthesis quantum coherence (Engel 2007)
G Engel 2007 + Fleming 2007 2D-electronic-coherence FMO; modern modern foundational + 2018 vibronic-classical reinterpretation Cao-Fleming.
Enzyme tunneling (Cha 1989)
Y Cha-D Klinman-J Northrop 1989 + Hammes-Schiffer 2010 enzyme-H-tunneling; modern modern foundational text + multiple-isotope KIE.
Vibrational olfaction (Turin 1996)
L Turin 1996 + Franco 2011 vibrational-theory; modern modern foundational text + 2024 contested ML-olfactory-receptor-binding only.
Avian compass (Mouritsen 2018)
H Mouritsen 2018 cryptochrome-CRY4 robin; modern modern foundational text + 2024 CRY4-radical-pair lifetime-magnetic-field experiment.
DNA H-tunneling (Löwdin 1963)
P-O Löwdin 1963 proton-tunneling DNA mutations; modern modern foundational text + 2024 quantum-error-correction tunneling-mutation.