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By showing that quantum mechanics governs not just electrons but also protons in life processes, the scientists bridged a major gap between physics and biology.
By Pesach Benson, TPS
Scientists discovered a hidden quantum connection inside living cells that may inspire smarter nanomaterials that mimic biological energy transfer, opening new paths in medicine, energy, and nanotechnology, Israeli researchers announced on Monday.
The study, led by scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in collaboration with the Weizmann Institute of Science and Ben Gurion University, shows for the first time that proton transfer — the way cells move energy — is directly influenced by electron spin, a quantum property.
Until now, scientists believed that protons, the tiny particles essential for energy production, moved mainly through simple chemical hopping between water molecules and amino acids.
But the new findings reveal that proton movement is also controlled by the spin of electrons, meaning that quantum physics plays an active role in a basic life process.
“Our findings show that the way protons move in biological systems isn’t just about chemistry — it’s also about quantum physics,” said Naama Goren, one of the lead researchers.
“This opens new doors for understanding how information and energy are transferred inside living things.”
The research was led by Goren and Prof. Yossi Paltiel from Hebrew University’s Department of Applied Physics and Nano Center, together with Prof. Nir Keren and Oded Livnah from the Institute of Life Science.
They worked closely with Prof. Ron Naaman from the Weizmann Institute and Prof. Nurit Ashkenasy from Ben Gurion University. The team’s findings were recently published in the peer-reviewed PNAS journal.
In experiments with biological crystals such as lysozyme — an enzyme found in many organisms — the researchers showed that electron spin and proton movement were not independent.
When electrons with a specific spin were injected into the crystals, protons moved more easily. When electrons with the opposite spin were injected, proton movement was significantly hindered.
This coupling between electron spin and proton transport had never been observed before in biological systems.
The discovery is linked to the Chiral Induced Spin Selectivity (CISS) effect, a phenomenon where chiral molecules — those with a specific “handedness” — interact differently depending on electron spin. The team found that vibrations in the crystal, called chiral phonons, help connect electron spin to proton mobility, tying quantum effects directly to biological energy flow.
“This connection between electron spin and proton movement could lead to new technologies that mimic biological processes, and even new ways to control information transfer inside cells,” Paltiel said.
By showing that quantum mechanics governs not just electrons but also protons in life processes, the scientists bridged a major gap between physics and biology. This suggests that energy and information transfer inside living organisms is more selective, more tunable, and more precisely controlled than previously believed.
The findings could lead to new medical technologies that control energy flow inside cells, more efficient bio-inspired energy devices, and advanced spintronic systems for quantum information processing.
A better understanding and control of electron spin and proton movement could lead to drugs that target energy flow inside cells more precisely and to the development of diagnostic tools capable of detecting abnormal energy transfer patterns in diseased cells.
Moreover, learning from how nature controls proton movement with quantum effects could inspire new types of batteries or fuel cells, as well as smarter nanomaterials that self-organize or repair by mimicking how cells handle energy transfer.
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