The mission
Mission
How far does life use the laws of quantum physics to work — and how do we find out?
Quantum biology asks how far life uses the laws of quantum physics to work — and to work optimally.
A growing body of evidence suggests that quantum effects — coherence, tunnelling, and spin — are not washed out in the warm, wet machinery of the cell, but are put to use: in how plants harvest light, how enzymes accelerate reactions, and how some animals sense the Earth's magnetic field.
QBICON exists to turn that possibility into rigorous, reproducible science. We coordinate experiment and theory across institutions to unambiguously establish — or refute — the quantum-to-biology link, and to translate what we learn into tools for health, computing, and discovery.
The study of the extent to which biological systems exploit quantum-mechanical phenomena to function.
How we work
Three commitments
-
Interdisciplinary by design
Quantum biology only advances when physicists, chemists, biologists, and engineers share a bench and a question. Our working groups are built that way from the start.
-
Open science
Foundational results, methods, and data are released openly and verifiably. A field this new earns its legitimacy in public.
-
A global network
We connect labs across institutions and continents into shared infrastructure, standards, and training — so the whole field moves together.
The central question
Do quantum states last long enough inside cells to matter?
This is the Quantum Biology Hypothesis. Settling it — either way — reshapes how we understand life. QBICON coordinates the experiments, instruments, and theory needed to answer it, and shares the roadmap openly.
Get involved