Quantum mechanics plays an essential role in biological processes like photosynthesis
Accumulating experimental and theoretical evidence strongly supports the role of quantum mechanics in biological systems, demonstrating that quantum coherence and exciton delocalization facilitate highly efficient energy transfer during photosynthesis.
Multiple recent reviews and empirical studies (e.g., papers 6, 7, 9, and 10) utilizing advanced ultrafast spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations consistently show that quantum phenomena like coherence and excitonic coupling govern excitation energy transfer in photosynthetic complexes. Although paper 2 notes the absence of Soret band energy transfer in specific bacterial pigment pairs, this is a localized structural detail rather than a refutation of quantum mechanisms in photosynthesis as a whole. Therefore, the overall evidence clearly supports the claim.
Sung JY, Cheong JH. Quantum biology: From mechanisms to medicine.. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1002/ctm2.70694
Reviews how quantum mechanical phenomena such as coherence and tunneling contribute significantly to biological functions, including photosynthetic energy transfer.
A. Razjivin, J. Götze, E. Lukashev, V. Kozlovsky, A. Ashikhmin, Z. Makhneva, A. Moskalenko, H. Lokstein, V. Paschenko. Lack of Excitation Energy Transfer from the Bacteriochlorophyll Soret Band to Carotenoids in Photosynthetic Complexes of Purple Bacteria.. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c00719
Finds that excitation energy transfer from the bacteriochlorophyll Soret band to carotenoids is absent or negligible in certain purple bacteria photosynthetic complexes.
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Seki S, Cupellini L, Bína D, Betti E, Urajová P, Tanaka H, Miyata T, Namba K, Kurisu G, Polívka T, Litvín R, Fujii R. Exciton Delocalization Promotes Far-Red Absorption in a Tetrameric Chlorophyll <i>a</i> Light-Harvesting Complex from <i>Trachydiscus minutus</i>.. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.5c17299
Demonstrates through multiscale quantum chemical calculations that protein-controlled excitonic coupling of chlorophyll pigments drives efficient far-red light harvesting.
R. El-Shishtawy, R. Haddon, S. Al-Heniti, Bahaaudin M. Raffah, S. Abdel-Khalek, K. Berrada, Y. Al-Hadeethi. Realistic Quantum Control of Energy Transfer in Photosynthetic Processes. 2016. https://doi.org/10.3390/EN9121063
Examines how quantum coherence and nonlocal correlations enhance excitation energy transfer probability in photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes.
Guo N, Liang Z, Guo X, Huang Z, Zhang L, Xie M, Pu Y, Li W, Chen M, Qin S, Zhao F. Ultrafast exciton energy transfer dynamics in the cryptophyte light-harvesting antenna phycoerythrin 566.. 2025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2025.1682154
Uses ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy and coherent modified Redfield theory to elucidate the coherent delocalization and ultrafast energy transfer pathways in photosynthetic antennae.
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