Will Microbes lead to Quantum Computing Breakthrough?
Scientist returns to microbial roots and discovers potential quantum computing advancement – Phys.org
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To date, his lab at the Yale Microbial Sciences Institute has uncovered the evolutionary trick used by bacteria to breathe through tiny protein filaments, called nanowires, to dispose of excess electrons from the conversion of organic waste to electricity.
The adaptation has enabled bacteria to send electrons over distances 100-times their size through what the scholars refer to as bacterial “snorkeling.”
From its base on Yale’s West Campus, the lab’s previous work revealed the role and atomic structures of the nanowires, but to explain how the electrons were moving so fast, Malvankar found himself returning to where he began—the world of quantum theory.
“Biological theory just couldn’t explain their speed,” explained the associate professor of molecular biophysics and biochemistry. “Either our measurements were wrong, or we needed a new theory.”
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