Quantum Laws Discovered at Work in Photosynthesis

We were astonished to find clear evidence of long-lived quantum mechanical states involved in moving the energy. Our result suggests that the energy of absorbed light resides in two places at once.

It also raises some other potentially fascinating questions, such as, have these organisms developed quantum-mechanical strategies for light-harvesting to gain an evolutionary advantage? It suggests that algae knew about quantum mechanics nearly two billion years before humans."

Greg Scholes, University of Toronto  professor of chemistry

A team of University of Toronto chemists have made a major contribution to the emerging field of quantum biology, observing quantum mechanics at work in photosynthesis in marine algae. "There's been a lot of excitement and speculation that nature may be using quantum mechanical practices," says chemistry professor Greg Scholes, lead author of a new study published this week in Nature. "Our latest experiments show that normally functioning biological systems have the capacity to use quantum mechanics in order to optimize a process as essential to their survival as photosynthesis."

Special proteins called light-harvesting complexes are used in photosynthesis to capture sunlight and funnel its energy to nature's solar cells – other proteins known as reaction centres. Scholes and his colleagues isolated light-harvesting complexes from two different species of marine algae and studied their function under natural temperature conditions using a sophisticated laser experiment known as two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy.

"We stimulated the proteins with femtosecond laser pulses to mimic the absorption of sunlight," explains Scholes. "This enabled us to monitor the subsequent processes, including the movement of energy between special molecules bound in the protein, against a stop-clock. We were astonished to find clear evidence of long-lived quantum mechanical states involved in moving the energy. Our result suggests that the energy of absorbed light resides in two places at once – a quantum superposition state, or coherence – and such a state lies at the heart of quantum mechanical theory."

"This and other recent discoveries have captured the attention of researchers for several reasons," says Scholes. "First, it means that quantum mechanical probability laws can prevail over the classical laws of kinetics in this complex biological system, even at normal temperatures. The energy can thereby flow efficiently by—counter intuitively—traversing several alternative paths through the antenna proteins simultaneously. It also raises some other potentially fascinating questions, such as, have these organisms developed quantum-mechanical strategies for light-harvesting to gain an evolutionary advantage? It suggests that algae knew about quantum mechanics nearly two billion years before humans."

Casey Kazan via University of Toronto

Comments

[GregB]

You are suggesting that "...algae 'knew' about quantum mechanics nearly two billion years before humans?" I keep encountering comments like this in scientific liturature where scientists anthropomorphically ascribe intelligence to early life forms.

Here's the reality: algae do no know anything! The acquisition of a capability to exploit properties of quantum behavior was a random event that conferred comparative survival advantage and by natural selection allowed the 'quantum' organism to gain ascendency over their lesser endowed relatives. There wasn't any 'knowing' involved.

On the other hand, maybe you subscribe to the theory of ID, in which case my comments are moot.

[Riz]

GregB, OBVIOUSLY the scientist is aware that the algae didn't undertake scientific research to learn how to do this. Your response is ridiculous, obviously he is joking, he is using humor to make a point about quantum laws in nature. Are you a robot?

[Riz]

To add to my previous comment, OBVIOUSLY he is aware that the algae do not KNOW that they are operating under quantum laws (I just wanted to point that out as you didn't say the scientist implied they were doing scientific research).

[dmarx]

GregB obviously isn't a robot. Robot's would use spell check.

I like this research though. It could turn out to be a step towards cheaper or even free energy.

Keep at it you awesomely nerdy scientists :D

BTW, "nerdy" was not meant as an insult. I play D&D.

[Riz]

"GregB obviously isn't a robot. Robot's would use spell check."

lol good point.

[RoyH]

Sorry, I'm with GregB on this. I dislike when scientific articles use that type of statement. I am also disappointed with insufficient explanations of their findings. So they used lasers and a stopwatch, and were "astonished to find clear evidence of long-lived quantum mechanical states". How were the lasers and stopwatches used, and how did they show quantum mechanical states?

[David]

Rape

[Riz]

RoyH, there is a difference between disliking anthropomorphic statements made by scientists and going so far as to stating "Here's the reality: algae do no know anything!" as if the scientists didn't know that in the first place. I was responding to GregB's apparent lack of understanding that the scientists remark was a joke.

[Xavier]

What's all the bickering about? This is a column that tries to inform the general public who might have a curious appetite for popular science topics. In that they do a pretty good job. It's a tough and necessary task to educate the general public on the importance and pertinence of funded scientific research. The column seems to make science news catchy and accessible for those who don't have more than an introductory exposure to science from high school or even light college courses or who don't have time to study science more deeply.
For a more serious and thorough explanation of methods etc. one should search for scientific publications that have the purpose and space for a scholarly discussion.

[India Holidays]

There is a difference between disliking anthropomorphic statements made by scientists and going so far as to stating "Here's the reality: algae do no know anything!" as if the scientists didn't know that in the first place.

[KenP]

Silly argument! No one was implying cognizance, poetic license and all that

[Narendra Nath]

It is amazing to note that some of us scientists think that nature worked through our discoveries. What we are discovering is through the study of nature itself. The entire scientific knowledge, discovered and yet to be discovered is already operational in nature, but we do not know about it! It is as simple as that. There is a thing called ' consciousness ' . That runs us as well as everything in nature, as IT has given rise to the entire universe(s). Science can not know what existed prior to the Big Bang, as 'nothing' gave rise to everything physical. That is what is ' consciousness '. Universal consciousness may be considered as The Creator equivalent ' GOD'.We can only observe the consequences of 'consciousness' but to know/sense it directly, one needs to understand the Human spirit, which is certainly not a physical thing! Man got evolved in nature only after 12/13 billion years of the existence of the Universe. Thus, Nature has supremacy over us in all respects.

[Domo]

@ Narendra Nath
Please do not quote Deepak Chopra here.

[Ramkumar]

leg pulling ..Opening a new era in Biology ..Like quantum computing... quantum biology ..Greg b in his comments put it rightly ...Algae with conciousness ..How does an algae know about Quantum probabilities ..Rutherfords,NeilsBohr ,planck and JJ.Thomsson's
in algae kingdom !!!!...

Clearly this news shows that the depths of nature is bottom less(Note we have a news about brane universe and gravity leaks which supports quantum loop gravity in this same site along with quantum precision time )The time will come ,perhaps soon,when quantum mechanics will reach the bounds of its applicability in normal daily life ..

[Ramkumar]

Seems that Narendranath has a together different out look .A capra like ' mixture of sceince and Mysticism' were Symmetries, Buddhist epistemologies ,cosmic dance and a twisted Heinsenberg along with J.Krishnamurthy ..dominates the thought..

[JM]

Nice article regarding the history of the study of photosynthesis during the first quarter of the xxth century and Otto Warburg's papers where he introduced different techniques to measure the rate of photosynthesis: Kärin Nickelsen (2009) The construction of a scientific model: Otto Warburg and the building block strategy. In: Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, 40(2):73-86

I thought somebody might find it interesting.

Best regards

[Tiffany jewellery]

astonished to find clear evidence of long-lived quantum mechanical states". How were the lasers and stopwatches used, and how did they show quantum mechanical states?

[memory foam mattress]

This sunflower is pretty beautiful!! I like it!!

[jump higher]

That is what is ' consciousness '. Universal consciousness may be considered as The Creator equivalent ' GOD'.We can only observe the consequences of 'consciousness' but to know/sense it directly, one needs to understand the Human spirit, which is certainly not a physical thing! Man got evolved in nature only after 12/13 billion years of the existence of the Universe. Thus, Nature has supremacy over us in all respects.

[how to grow taller]

It could turn out to be a step towards cheaper or even free energy.

Keep at it you awesomely nerdy scientists :D

[wetsuits for sale]

"The main surprise was that you could actually see" these quantum effects influencing real world biology

[louis vuitton handbags]

Maybe they announced that Justin Bieber was going to perform.

[cheap designer handbags]

The world would be perfect if all nations just built 100-story Tower cities connected to Trains!

Force people to stop crowding each other on the ground like cavemen!

Just blame AMERICA!

[jump higher]

There are really lots of things we can still discover about other living things in the world.

[640-802]

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