The radical-pair mechanism as a paradigm for the emerging science of quantum biology

Abstract

The radical-pair mechanism (RPM) was introduced in the 1960s to explain anomalously large EPR and NMR signals in chemical reactions of organic molecules. It has evolved to the cornerstone of spin chemistry, the study of the effect electron and nuclear spins have on chemical reactions, with the avian magnetic compass mechanism and the photosynthetic reaction center dynamics being prominent biophysical manifestations of such effects. In recent years the RPM was shown to be an ideal biological system where the conceptual tools of quantum-information science can be fruitfully applied. We will here review recent work making the case that RPM is indeed a major driving force of the emerging field of quantum biology.