Led by the University of Chicago in partnership with Chicago State University, the University of Illinois Chicago, Harvard University, and other collaborators, NSF QuBBE brings together researchers from quantum information science, chemistry, physics, biology, engineering, medicine, and education. At the University of Chicago, the effort spans the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, the Physical Sciences Division, the Biological Sciences Division, and UChicago Medicine. Its central challenge is both technical and biological: quantum sensors must be sensitive enough to detect minute signals, yet sufficiently stable and adaptable to function in the crowded, chemically complex environment of a living organism. Researchers also need to design sensors around biological questions from the beginning rather than developing quantum devices in isolation and searching for uses afterward.

Quantum sensors exploit the unusual behavior of matter and light at the quantum level. Properties such as spin, superposition, entanglement, and quantum coherence can make a system respond to tiny changes in magnetic fields, electric fields, temperature, pressure, or chemical surroundings. A sensor based on these effects may detect signals far below the threshold of traditional technologies. In biological research, that sensitivity could reveal how proteins change shape, how ions move through membranes, how neurons communicate, or how molecular machinery operates inside individual cells. The difficulty is that quantum states are fragile. Vibrations, heat, electromagnetic noise, and chemical interactions can destroy the very information that makes a quantum sensor powerful, so the devices must be engineered to preserve useful quantum behavior while operating in realistic biological conditions.

During its first phase, NSF QuBBE supported a range of approaches designed to overcome those challenges. Scientists developed genetically encodable qubits, nanodiamond sensors able to detect cellular activity, advances in high-field nanoscale nuclear magnetic resonance, and methods that use entanglement to improve biosensing. A qubit is the quantum equivalent of a classical bit, but unlike a bit—which is either zero or one—a qubit can exist in a combination of both states until it is measured. That feature allows quantum systems to encode information about their surroundings with extraordinary precision. Nanodiamonds containing nitrogen-vacancy centers, for example, can act as nanoscale magnetometers. Their quantum states respond to magnetic fields, making it possible to track electrical or chemical activity near cells without necessarily disrupting the cells themselves.

One of the most striking developments supported by the institute came from research led by University of Chicago molecular engineering Associate Professor Peter Maurer and Liew Family Professor David Awschalom, together with collaborators. The team demonstrated that fluorescent proteins can function as spin qubits, suggesting that quantum sensors might eventually be produced directly inside living cells. Fluorescent proteins are already widely used in biology because researchers can attach their genetic instructions to those of a target protein and observe where it is produced or transported. Turning such a protein into a qubit adds a new possibility: the same biological machinery that places a fluorescent marker inside a cell could potentially position a quantum sensor with molecular precision.

The concept of a protein qubit addresses one of the most persistent problems in biological quantum sensing: placement. A diamond sensor can be extremely small by conventional standards, but it may still be difficult to deliver to exactly the right location inside a cell or tissue. A genetically encodable sensor, by contrast, could be manufactured by the cell itself and directed to a particular organelle, membrane, protein complex, or signaling pathway. According to Maurer, protein qubits could be roughly ten times smaller than diamond sensors while offering the possibility of precise intracellular targeting. Their quantum spin states could respond to local magnetic or electromagnetic environments, providing information about nearby biological processes. The technology remains at an early stage, but it points toward sensors that are not merely inserted into living systems—they are built as part of them.

The next phase of NSF QuBBE will concentrate on four connected goals: creating new quantum nanoprobes for biological sensing, exploring entanglement and squeezed states to improve measurement precision, advancing in vivo measurements, and speeding the adoption of quantum sensing across biology and medicine. Squeezed sensing reduces uncertainty in one measurable property of a quantum system by shifting uncertainty into another property that may be less relevant to the experiment. Entanglement, meanwhile, links quantum systems so that their measurement outcomes display correlations stronger than classical physics allows. In principle, these techniques could improve sensitivity beyond the limits of independent sensors, although maintaining entanglement in biological environments is a formidable experimental challenge.

Researchers will continue refining nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond while developing protein-based sensors capable of functioning in living systems. They will also combine advanced imaging, theoretical modeling, and computation to interpret the signals produced by quantum devices. The goal is not simply to create a sensor that can detect a physical quantity, but to connect that measurement to a meaningful biological event. A small change in a magnetic field, for instance, becomes scientifically valuable when it can be linked to the firing of a neuron, the activity of an enzyme, the movement of a molecular motor, or the early response of a tumor to treatment. Integrating the sensor with the biological question could help researchers decide which quantum properties matter most, how the sensor should be targeted, and how measurements can be translated into information physicians can use.

The institute is also building an educational and workforce pipeline intended to expand who can participate in quantum science. During its first phase, NSF QuBBE worked with Chicago State University to establish the Quantum Institute and Q-Cert, a one-year post-baccalaureate certification program in quantum science. The next phase is expected to include a quantum master’s program at Chicago State and closer integration among undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D. training. This effort will complement the university’s Quantum Education, Science and Technology Center, known as CQuEST, which connects quantum research, microelectronics, education, and workforce development. At the University of Illinois Chicago, Associate Professor Minjung Ryu leads the Quantum Academy, which introduces Chicago-area high school students and teachers to quantum science through hands-on activities, research experiences, and educator training.

NSF QuBBE’s long-term ambition is to establish quantum sensing for biology and medicine as an accessible research field rather than a specialized capability available only to quantum laboratories. The institute plans to expand infrastructure, improve user access, and involve biologists, physicians, and other potential users in developing and testing the technology. Its work is also connected to the Berggren Center for Quantum Biology and Medicine, housed at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering in collaboration with UChicago Medicine and the Biological Sciences Division. The center is pursuing quantum technologies for healthcare while training physicians and physician-scientists to work across disciplines. If the program succeeds, future researchers may use quantum sensors to observe biology with a level of spatial and physical precision that conventional tools cannot provide—bringing previously invisible processes into view and potentially changing how disease is diagnosed, studied, and treated.

Subject of Research: Quantum sensing technologies for biophysics, bioengineering, biology, and medicine

Web References: https://www.nsf.gov/news/eight-nsf-research-institutes-propel-us-quantum-science-290m

Image Credits: Jason Smith

Keywords: Quantum sensing, quantum biology, quantum medicine, qubits, protein qubits, genetically encodable sensors, biophysics, bioengineering, quantum computing, nanodiamonds, nitrogen-vacancy centers, biological imaging, quantum science, molecular engineering, biomedical research

Viruses, traditionally viewed as entities at the blurred line between living and non-living matter, have emerged as compelling subjects in this discourse, particularly through the work of Connor Thompson, a microbiology and immunology PhD student. His essay, “Viruses: Quantum Probes of Life,” offers a fresh framework to evaluate the concept of ‘quantum advantage’ in biological systems—the hypothesis that quantum processes may afford evolutionary benefits over classical mechanisms. By positing viruses as natural quantum testbeds, Thompson details a suite of innovative, experimentally attainable methodologies to dissect whether these submicroscopic particles exploit quantum coherence or entanglement to enhance replication or immune evasion. The implications of such findings extend far beyond virology, potentially enabling the design of quantum bioengineered systems, illuminating novel therapeutic frontiers, and even impacting our strategies to detect extraterrestrial life.

Parallel to Thompson’s investigation into viral quantum biology, Samuel Morriss—a practicing clinician in Melbourne—has shed light on the quantum characteristics inherent in human skin. His essay, “How Quantum is the Skin? A Clinician’s Perspective on Life at the Nanoscale,” delves into three pivotal lines of inquiry: the quantum mechanisms underlying melanoma risk, the protective role of DNA against ultraviolet radiation through quantum absorption, and the utilization of skin as a quantum biomarker for aging processes. Morriss argues that skin acts as a living quantum interface, where nanoscale quantum interactions manifest with profound physiological consequences. His work underscores an urgent call to reintegrate physics into biological and medical sciences—a divide lamented since mid-20th century—highlighting that comprehending quantum processes at the biological interface is crucial not only for theoretical advancement but for tangible clinical applications.

The competition itself was a robust intellectual endeavor that drew 97 entries from a global spectrum of participants, including academics, clinicians, students, and non-specialists alike, illustrating the democratization and expansive reach of quantum biology discourse. Esteemed judges from multiple disciplines, including physics, biology, and quantum biology, evaluated the submissions in a blinded review process to ensure objectivity and accessibility without compromising scientific rigor. The range of perspectives on display revealed both the maturity and the aspirational horizons of quantum biology, a field still nascent yet brimming with transformative potential.

Among the highlighted contributions, undergraduate student Gabriela Frajtag’s essay, “The Quantum of Biology: History and Future,” garnered particular acclaim. Frajtag’s work is noteworthy for contextualizing quantum biology within its historical foundation while proposing clear, falsifiable experimental pathways for its evolution. Her essay exemplifies how fresh academic voices can shape the future of complex scientific inquiries by bridging past lessons with cutting-edge conceptual frameworks and measurable objectives. This recognition of emerging talent speaks to the inclusive and forward-thinking ethos embraced by FQxI and the Paradox Science Institute.

The broader significance of these essays lies not just in their individual scientific contributions but in their collective capacity to signal a paradigm shift in how life itself might be understood. The traditional dichotomy separating classical biological explanations from quantum phenomena is increasingly inadequate to describe the subtleties observed in molecular and cellular processes. Understanding life through the quantum lens may unravel new dimensions of enzyme catalysis, genetic mutation mechanisms, cellular communication, and energy transfer that classical models alone fail to address. This knowledge could accelerate the development of novel quantum-informed medical diagnostics, bioengineering applications, and revolutionary therapeutic modalities.

Furthermore, these studies reinforce the necessity of interdisciplinary collaboration. The quantum biology frontier demands expertise from physics, biology, medicine, chemistry, and computational sciences, fostering communities that can decode life’s deepest mysteries holistically. Notably, the competition’s emphasis on experimental feasibility translates theoretical ideas into practical studies that labs can pursue today, moving quantum biology from conceptual curiosity to an empirically grounded science.

This competition, the 13th of its kind hosted by FQxI and the second with anonymous judging, exemplifies how science institutions can nurture innovation and inclusivity. By creating platforms where professional researchers and amateurs alike contribute on equal footing, FQxI cultivates a fertile ecosystem for disruptive ideas. This structural openness is vital, given that nature’s quantum secrets likely transcend disciplinary boundaries and conventional academic hierarchies.

As these essays circulate within the scientific community and beyond, their impact is already palpable. They invite policymakers, funding bodies, and research institutions to reassess priorities, possibly diverting resources toward the exploration of quantum biology’s medley of promises—from drug design and personalized medicine to the foundational understanding of life’s emergence. The ripple effects may eventually touch technological sectors, inspiring quantum-enabled biotechnological tools that redefine what’s possible in healthcare and biological research.

In sum, the “How Quantum is Life?” competition not only spotlights trailblazing research on the quantum underpinnings of living systems but also galvanizes a vision of science that embraces complexity, fosters interdisciplinary dialogue, and values innovative voices. The insights generated by the eight winning essays chart promising pathways toward a deeper integration of quantum physics with the life sciences, heralding an era where life’s fundamental questions are interrogated with unprecedented clarity and creativity.

Subject of Research: Exploration of quantum mechanics’ role in biological systems and its implications for life sciences and medicine.

Article Title: How Quantum Mechanics Sculpts the Blueprint of Life: Insights from FQxI’s “How Quantum is Life?” Essay Competition

News Publication Date: February 14, 2026

Web References:
– Foundational Questions Institute (FQxI): https://fqxi.org/
– Paradox Science Institute: https://paradoxscience.org/
– FQxI Competition Winners and Essays Repository: https://qspace.fqxi.org/competitions/winners/17

Image Credits: © FQxI/Gabriel Fitzpatrick (2026)

Keywords

Quantum Biology, Quantum Mechanics, Viruses, Skin Quantum Effects, Quantum Bioengineering, Molecular Evolution, Quantum Medicine, Interdisciplinary Research, Quantum Bio-Phenomena, Quantum Advantage, FQxI Essay Competition, Quantum Biotech