
Recent evidence suggests that a variety of organisms may harness some of the unique features of quantum mechanics to gain a biological advantage. These features go beyond trivial quantum effects and may include harnessing quantum coherence on physiologically important timescales. The latest results for non-trivial quantum effects in photosynthetic light harvesting are considered for functional quantum biology. The oscillatory features in the optical response of photosynthetic complexes have revealed evidence for surprisingly long-lasting electronic coherence's which can coexist with energy transport. These observations have ignited multidisciplinary interest in the role of quantum effects in biological systems. Here authors show that the non-trivial spectral structures of protein fluctuations can generate non-equilibrium processes that lead to the spontaneous creation and sustenance of electronic coherence. The role of non-equilibrium vibrational structures in electronic coherence and recoherence in pigment-protein complexes. A.W. Chin, J. Prior, R. Rosenbach, F. Caycedo-Soler, S. F. Huelga and M. B. Plenio http://www.nature.com/nphys/journal/v9/n2/full/nphys2515.html NATURE PHYSICS, VOL 9 j, FEBRUARY 2013, DOI: 10.1038/NPHYS2515

Recent evidence suggests that a variety of organisms may harness some of the unique features of quantum mechanics to gain a biological advantage. These features go beyond trivial quantum effects and may include harnessing quantum coherence on physiologically important timescales. The latest results for non-trivial quantum effects in photosynthetic light harvesting are considered for functional quantum biology. The oscillatory features in the optical response of photosynthetic complexes have revealed evidence for surprisingly long-lasting electronic coherence's which can coexist with energy transport. These observations have ignited multidisciplinary interest in the role of quantum effects in biological systems. Here authors show that the non-trivial spectral structures of protein fluctuations can generate non-equilibrium processes that lead to the spontaneous creation and sustenance of electronic coherence.

The role of non-equilibrium vibrational structures in electronic coherence and recoherence in pigment-protein complexes.
A.W. Chin, J. Prior, R. Rosenbach, F. Caycedo-Soler, S. F. Huelga and M. B. Plenio
http://www.nature.com/nphys/journal/v9/n2/full/nphys2515.html

NATURE PHYSICS, VOL 9 j, FEBRUARY 2013,
DOI: 10.1038/NPHYS2515