Google Quantum AI announced an initiative with the University of Arizona and four other academic institutions that will apply advanced quantum science and artificial intelligence to the life sciences to catalyze scientific discovery in these fields. 

In a blog post published today, Google Quantum AI founder and lead Hartmut Neven said the Research Program at the Intersection of Life Sciences & Quantum AI, or REPLIQA, is designed to advance understanding of biological processes at the molecular level – one of science’s greatest challenges. 

The program is supported by a $10 million commitment from Google.org to advance research at the U of A; the University of California San Diego, the University of California, Santa Barbara; Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“We are at a rare inflection point where quantum science and artificial intelligence are converging in ways that could redefine what is knowable in the life sciences,” said Tomás Díaz de la Rubia, senior vice president for research and partnerships. “Life may have evolved to exploit quantum mechanics in ways we are only beginning to understand. REPLIQA will give us the ability to ask questions we’ve never been able to ask before and find answers that could accelerate scientific discovery in ways that benefit people and society for generations to come.”

Quantum science draws on physics describing matter and energy at very small scales, where the behavior of particles can be used to improve sensing, imaging and computation, as well as modeling and interpreting complex biological systems. 

By exploring how quantum particles interact at the molecular level, the initiative aims to uncover how these fundamental forces govern biological functions. The research lays a foundation for new biological discoveries and improved human outcomes by developing hybrid sensors – which combine the extreme sensitivity of quantum particles with biological interfaces – and quantum-enhanced AI algorithms. These advancements allow scientists to observe cellular processes with unprecedented precision and simulate molecular interactions that are simply too complex for today’s standard computers.

U of A Regents Professor of Planetary Science and Cosmochemistry Dante Lauretta leads the university’s participation. Lauretta is founding director of the Arizona Astrobiology Center, part of the U of A Office of Research and Partnerships. He also serves as principal investigator for NASA’s OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission, which seeks to better understand the origins of life through analysis of materials retrieved from the asteroid Bennu, a research effort similarly focused on uncovering fundamental processes in complex natural systems.

“By aligning the collective expertise of U of A researchers with Google Quantum AI and the other REPLIQA university participants, we are exploring the potential of quantum technology to understand the biological worlds,” Lauretta said. “This initiative gives us the rare opportunity to apply the same rigor we use in space exploration to the microscopic frontier of the cell, uncovering the vital mechanisms that sustain life.”

Additional U of A researchers include Frederic Zenhausern, professor of biomedical sciences and biomedical engineering and director of the Center for Applied NanoBioscience and Medicine; Zafer Mutlu, assistant professor of materials science and engineering; Narayanan Rengaswamy, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering; Regis Ferriere, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology; and Veaceslav Coropceanu, research professor of chemistry and biochemistry.