{"id":31225,"date":"2025-07-30T00:30:07","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T00:30:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/31225\/"},"modified":"2025-07-30T00:30:07","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T00:30:07","slug":"quantum-computing-occurs-naturally-in-the-human-brain-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/31225\/","title":{"rendered":"Quantum computing occurs naturally in the human brain, study finds"},"content":{"rendered":"

When a molecule of tryptophan absorbs ultraviolet light, it glows faintly as it lets off lower-frequency energy. This soft glow, known as fluorescence, is a familiar effect. But when many tryptophan<\/a> molecules act together in well-organized protein clusters, something unexpected happens. Their glow grows brighter and much faster than expected. This rare group behavior is called superradiance, and scientists now think it could reshape how we understand both life and information itself.<\/p>\n

New research shows that certain proteins rich in tryptophan\u2014especially those found in brain cells\u2014might act as networks for quantum computing. These molecular systems seem to do more than just shield cells from damage. They may also process and send information with a speed and efficiency that outperforms known biological methods.<\/p>\n

When Quantum Logic Defies the Noise<\/p>\n

Quantum behaviors<\/a> typically live in the cold and quiet. Quantum computers, for instance, must stay colder than outer space to avoid disruption. At room temperature, heat and noise usually destroy the fragile conditions required for quantum effects to survive. This has led most scientists to assume that such effects can’t exist inside the body\u2019s warm and noisy environment.<\/p>\n

A cell seen under microscope. (CREDIT: Fayette Reynolds M.S. \/ Pexels) <\/p>\n

But living systems are busy, messy, and warm. Cells buzz with motion and energy. Proteins and neurons are far too bulky for classic quantum effects\u2014or so it seemed. A group led by Philip Kurian at Howard University\u2019s Quantum Biology Laboratory<\/a> has uncovered compelling evidence that quantum behavior doesn\u2019t just survive in biology\u2014it may be essential to life itself.<\/p>\n

Kurian\u2019s team discovered that dense networks of tryptophan molecules\u2014packed into structures like microtubules, centrioles, and bundles of neurons\u2014can act like quantum optical devices. These networks don\u2019t just carry light energy. They manage it in ways that mirror high-tech quantum systems, but inside living matter.<\/p>\n

Their results, published in Science Advances<\/a>, reveal that superradiance can emerge in warm biological tissue, not just in cold atomic systems. This breakthrough links quantum science with real-world biology. It suggests that the same effect seen in tightly controlled physics labs might also be part of how our bodies work at the smallest scale.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis work connects the dots among the great pillars of twentieth century physics\u2014thermodynamics, relativity, and quantum mechanics\u2014for a major paradigm shift,\u201d said Kurian. The discovery hints that nature has long used quantum tools we\u2019re only beginning to understand\u2014and it may have built life itself around them.<\/p>\n

Related StoriesWhy Tryptophan Is Special<\/p>\n

Tryptophan is not just another amino acid. It has a unique indole ring structure, making it especially good at absorbing ultraviolet light. It also fluoresces with a strong Stokes shift, meaning the light it emits is clearly separated in color from the light it absorbs. These properties make it a favorite tool in laboratory studies of protein behavior.<\/p>\n

But tryptophan isn\u2019t just helpful in a test tube. It appears naturally in key locations in living systems\u2014often at the interface between water and lipids in cell membranes. It\u2019s found in transmembrane proteins, photoreceptors<\/a>, hemoglobin, and especially in the complex cytoskeletal structures inside cells. These include microtubules and centrioles, which help cells divide, change shape, and move.<\/p>\n

Kurian\u2019s group studied these mesoscale networks\u2014structures containing over 100,000 tryptophan molecules\u2014and found that they often display a collective optical response. The more ordered the structure, the stronger the quantum effect. And even when they introduced disorder, the effects still survived under normal biological temperatures.<\/p>\n

Living systems maintain information-processing architectures using photoexcited quantum degrees of freedom. (CREDIT: Science Advances) <\/p>\n

Professor Majed Chergui of \u00c9cole Polytechnique F\u00e9d\u00e9rale de Lausanne<\/a>, who led the experimental team, explained: \u201cIt took very precise and careful application of standard protein spectroscopy methods, but guided by the theoretical predictions of our collaborators, we were able to confirm a stunning signature of superradiance in a micron-scale biological system.\u201d<\/p>\n

How Living Systems May Use Quantum Light<\/p>\n

Kurian\u2019s group believes these large tryptophan networks may have evolved to take advantage of their quantum properties. When cells breathe using oxygen\u2014a process called aerobic respiration\u2014they create free radicals, or reactive oxygen species (ROS). These unstable particles can emit high-energy UV photons<\/a>, which damage DNA and other important molecules.<\/p>\n

Tryptophan networks act as natural shields. They absorb this harmful light and re-emit it at lower energies, reducing damage. But thanks to superradiance, they may also perform this protective function much more quickly and efficiently than single molecules could.<\/p>\n

This speed could matter even more in the brain. Traditional neuroscience models say that information is passed between neurons using chemical signals, which take milliseconds to complete. But Kurian\u2019s study found that the superradiant signal transfer happens in picoseconds\u2014about a billion times faster.<\/p>\n

In a previous study, published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry<\/a> and reported on within The Brighter Side of News<\/a>, Kurian’s team found that these signals might allow cells to share information at speeds and scales that traditional models can\u2019t explain. They could act like fiber optic cables, transmitting light-based data through tissues and enabling a new level of biological computing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis photoprotection may prove crucial in slowing or stopping degenerative illnesses,\u201d said Kurian. \u201cWe hope this will inspire a range of new experiments to understand how quantum-enhanced photoprotection plays a role in complex pathologies that thrive on highly oxidative conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n

A New Kind of Computing<\/p>\n

In his paper, Kurian took a bold step: he calculated how much information life on Earth may have processed since its beginning, based on the laws of quantum mechanics<\/a>, the speed of light, and the density of matter in the universe. He found that life\u2019s information processing\u2014powered by quantum-enhanced structures like tryptophan networks\u2014might rival that of all known matter in the observable cosmos.<\/p>\n

Tryptophan ball and stick model spinning. (CREDIT: CC BY-SA 4.0) <\/p>\n

This finding echoes questions raised decades ago by physicist Erwin Schr\u00f6dinger, who asked in his 1944 book What is Life? whether something deeper than chemistry might govern living systems. Kurian\u2019s work now offers a possible answer.<\/p>\n

Professor Seth Lloyd of MIT<\/a>, a pioneer in quantum computing, praised the study. \u201cIt\u2019s good to be reminded that the computation performed by living systems is vastly more powerful than that performed by artificial ones,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Kurian\u2019s theories have attracted attention from quantum computing researchers around the world, including Professor Nicol\u00f2 Defenu of ETH Zurich<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s really intriguing to see a vital and growing connection between quantum technology and living systems,\u201d Defenu said.<\/p>\n

Even space scientists are taking notice. Dante Lauretta, director of the Arizona Astrobiology Center<\/a>, said that Kurian\u2019s predictions offer new insights into the search for life elsewhere in the universe. \u201cThe remarkable properties of this signaling and information-processing modality could be a game-changer in the study of habitable exoplanets,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Tryptophan-rich structures in your cells may be doing more than protecting you\u2014they might be computing at quantum speeds. (CREDIT: Gerd Altmann from Pixabay) Going Beyond the Brain<\/p>\n

While most studies focus on neurons, Kurian and others remind us that most life on Earth is aneural. Bacteria, plants, fungi, and single-celled organisms form the bulk of the planet\u2019s biomass. These living systems may use tryptophan networks and quantum effects just as efficiently as brains do.<\/p>\n

The presence of superradiant<\/a> behavior in these simple organisms suggests that quantum information processing might be a core feature of life itself\u2014not just an add-on for complex beings.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are signatures in the interstellar media and on interplanetary asteroids of similar quantum emitters,\u201d Lauretta said. \u201cThese may be precursors to eukaryotic life\u2019s computational advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kurian hopes this work will spark further research into the quantum dimensions of life. \u201cIn the era of artificial intelligences<\/a> and quantum computers, it is important to remember that physical laws restrict all their behaviors,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd yet, though these stringent physical limits also apply to life\u2019s ability to know and simulate the universe, we can still explore and make sense of it. It\u2019s awe-inspiring that we get to play such a role.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When a molecule of tryptophan absorbs ultraviolet light, it glows faintly as it lets off lower-frequency energy. This…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":31226,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[64,63,257,105],"class_list":{"0":"post-31225","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-computing","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-computing","11":"tag-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31225","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31225"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31225\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}