The science & the system.

Quantum biology is an emerging scientific field that explores how life depends on quantum phenomena.

At its core, it studies how superposition, electron spin, entanglement, and quantum tunneling can influence the molecules, cells, and systems of living organisms.

While quantum effects are well-documented in physics and chemistry, biology has long been treated as "too messy" or "too warm" for these delicate phenomena. But this assumption is breaking down.

Erwin Schrödinger, one of the fathers of quantum theory, wrote "What is Life?" in 1944 — postulating the need for quantum mechanics to explain heredity, prior to the discovery of DNA.

In the 1960s and 70s, researchers began finding examples of natural phenomena (tunneling in enzymes, bird navigation) that depended on quantum effects.

Now, researchers are aiming to construct new instruments to directly probe quantum states and help unlock the quantum secrets of life.

There are many "flavors" of quantum biology — from birds navigating magnetic fields, to quantum coherence in photosynthesis, to theories of consciousness in microtubules.

At the Quantum Biology DAO, we're especially focused on experimentally testable quantum effects with real-world relevance and clear theoretical grounding.

So far, we've been particularly interested in two areas: low-field magnetic effects and the radical pair mechanism. These make specific predictions and could explain phenomena from tadpole development to human fertility.