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Quantum Biology

16th May 2018

6:30 pm - 10:00 pm

The Red Lion, 530 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4BT. United Kingdom.

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A lot of people may be familiar with the term ‘Quantum Mechanics’ but how about ‘Quantum Biology’? From avian navigation to photosynthesis, it seems that nature has been using some quantum mechanics tricks to do its job. We will explore the area of quantum biology together and look at “What is Life?” with quantum mechanics.

The Weird World of Quantum Biology

Dr Sam Hay (Senior Researcher)
The job of the biophysicist is to discover and describe the physics that underpins biology. In some cases, this underlying physics is inherently quantum mechanical, giving rise to the weird world of quantum biology. We study a range of biological phenomena where quantum mechanics does, or appears to, play a significant role. To do so, we typically employ a ‘kitchen sink’ approach that combines a range of experimental and theoretical methods.

Quantum biology within photosynthesis

Henry Maguire (PhD student)
My research is generally about quantum and molecular physics, specifically about how the vibrational properties of organic molecules influence their electron/energy transfer properties. Most recently I have been looking into modelling experimental data for these types of systems, in order to help explain some of the long-lived quantum coherence that is thought to exist during energy transfer processes in some photosynthetic organisms. This is one of the archetypal examples of “quantum biology” in action.

For more information and to book tickets, click here.