EPJ Plus Highlight - Using protein microtubules for quantum computations

Details

Published on 20 January 2026

A new model shows how networks of protein-based microtubules could host entangled quantum states under normal biological conditions

For now, the possibility of using biological structures as a platform for quantum computing remains an open question. While existing quantum computers require tightly controlled conditions to preserve quantum coherence, researchers have begun exploring how quantum information could be stored and processed more naturally within complex biomolecular structures.

In new research published in EPJ Plus, Nick Mavromatos at the National Technical University of Athens), Andreas Mershin at RealNose.AI, and Dimitri Nanopoulos at Texas A&M University present a model in which entangled quantum states are hosted by networks of protein-based microtubules. If experimentally confirmed, this model could open entirely new avenues toward biological quantum computers, potentially more resilient to information loss than current technologies.

Tubulin is a large biomolecule formed from a bonded pair of polypeptides called a ‘heterodimer’. These molecules can polymerize to form networks of hollow microtubules, which provide the structural framework inside many living cells. In their model, the authors show how the interiors of microtubules could host entangled quantum states that remain coherent for roughly a microsecond under normal biological conditions.

The model attributes these relatively long coherence times to strong electric-dipole interactions between tubulin heterodimers and water molecules inside the microtubule. Classical models suggest these interactions can generate excited states in the form of collective dipole alignments that travel along the microtubule. Here, the researchers interpret these excitations as quantum states capable of transferring energy and information along the microtubule without dissipating into the surrounding environment.

The team also proposes that quantum entanglements between multiple microtubules could act as logic gates – the building blocks of information-processing systems. In this framework, decision-like processes are triggered by external stimuli, with the microtubule network naturally selecting the most efficient pathways for energy and information flow. In future studies, the authors suggest their concept could be tested using advanced optical techniques capable of detecting quantum interactions at the nanoscale.