2026 Edition · Annual Workshop

QBi2

Quantum Effects at the Biology and Innovation Interface.

2026 Focus

Photoactive Protein Spins

Optical Control in Living Systems

Dates October 19–20, 2026
Location 400 N Aberdeen St · 16F · Chicago, IL
Sponsors & Partners Biohub Northwestern University · Department of Chemistry
About

Intersection of quantum effects and living systems.

QBI² brings together quantum physicists, chemical biologists, biomedical researchers, and industry expertise to investigate whether and how quantum engineering can advance the life sciences, and quantum phenomena control biological systems.

Our annual workshop anchors on a specific focal topic the community is ready to move forward on, examining where quantum phenomena may be utilized to transform our capabilities to study and control biological systems, and where quantum phenomena may genuinely shape biological function, and where evidence falls short.

The goal is not consensus but clarity: to map what is known, identify what remains contested, and figure out where the real scientific and translational opportunities lie.

QBI² is as much about building community as advancing ideas. We connect researchers across disciplines, sparking collaborations and creating space for the kinds of conversations and ideas that demand an in-depth, focused discussion, and inspire exchange between academia and industry.

For 2026, protein science is the lens. The workshop focuses on protein spin qubits and related spin effects: genetically encoded and chemically targeted spin systems that can be initialized, manipulated, and read out within living systems.

Protein spin qubits Fluorescent protein readout Coherent spin control Radical pair mechanism Flavoproteins Magnetic field effects Optogenetics

What we aim to do

  • Map what is already known across quantum physics and the life sciences.
  • Identify what remains contested and where the open questions sit.
  • Locate the real scientific and translational opportunities worth pursuing.
  • Build community and spark cross-disciplinary collaborations.
Program

Two days of photoactive protein spins

From fluorescent protein spin qubits to radical-pair systems and the translational opportunities in quantum biology - a focused, single-track program.

Day 1

Monday, October 19, 2026

Full day
8:15 – 8:55 am Registration and coffee
8:55 – 9:00 am Songi Han Peter Maurer Welcome & framing Songi Han & Peter Maurer
9:00 – 9:40 am David Awschalom Opening Keynote — David Awschalom University of Chicago
9:40 – 10:00 am Coffee break
Session 1 Fluorescent Protein Spin Qubits
10:00 – 10:25 Peter Maurer Peter Maurer University of Chicago Encoding a Spin Qubit in a Fluorescent Protein
10:25 – 10:50 Robert Dickson Robert Dickson Georgia Institute of Technology
10:50 – 11:15 Laura Gagliardi Laura Gagliardi University of Chicago
11:15 – 11:35 Break
Session 2 Theory of Excited State and Spin Dynamics
11:35 – 12:00 Roel Tempelaar Roel Tempelaar Northwestern University How Molecular Structure Governs Intersystem Crossing in Firefly Oxyluciferin and Beyond
12:00 – 12:25 Subhajyoti Chaudhuri Subhajyoti Chaudhuri Northwestern University From Spin to Signal: The Quantum Chemistry of LOV Photoreceptors
12:25 – 2:00 Lunch
Session 3 Detection at the Single-Object Limit
2:00 – 2:25 Emmanuel Flurin Emmanuel Flurin Quantronics, CEA
2:25 – 2:50 Vahid Sandoghdar Vahid Sandoghdar Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light
2:50 – 3:10 Break
Session 4 Engineering and Controlling Biological Function
3:10 – 3:35 Rama Ranganathan Rama Ranganathan University of Chicago
3:35 – 4:00 Max Wilson Max Wilson UC Santa Barbara Massively Multiplexed Engineering of Photo-Switchable Proteins
4:00 – 4:25 Yun Chen Yun Chen Johns Hopkins University Leveraging Spin Dynamics of Radical Pairs to Control Cell Behaviors and Cell Fates
4:25 – 4:45 Coffee break
4:45 – 5:30 Lightning Session by students and postdocs
5:30 – 7:00 Reception with light refreshment
Day 2

Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Full day
Session 5 Magnetic Field Effects in Flavoproteins
9:00 – 9:25 Alex Jones Alex Jones National Physical Laboratory (NPL), UK Magnetic Modulation of Neuronal Activity
9:25 – 9:50 Dominik Bucher Dominik Bucher Technical University of Munich Optically Detected and Radio Wave-Controlled Spin Chemistry in Flavoproteins
9:50 – 10:10 am Coffee break
Session 6 Engineered Spin-Correlated Radical Pairs in Living Systems
10:10 – 10:35 Shaun Burd Shaun Burd Stanford University
10:35 – 11:00 Gabriel Abrahams Gabriel Abrahams University of Oxford
11:00 – 11:20 Break
Session 7 Radical Pairs in Photoreceptor Function
11:20 – 11:45 Brian Crane Brian Crane Cornell University
11:45 – 12:10 Josh Straub Josh Straub Han Lab, Northwestern University Magnetic Field Controls Covalent Photoproduct Formation in a Wild-Type Photoreceptor
12:10 – 1:30 Lunch
Session 8 Translational Opportunities for Optically Addressable Proteins
1:30 – 1:55 Kevin Gardner Kevin Gardner CUNY Advanced Science Research Center
1:55 – 2:20 John Anderson John Anderson University of Chicago NIR-II Addressable Spins for In-Vivo Sensing and Imaging
2:20 – 2:40 Break
Session 9 The Road Ahead for Quantum Biology
2:40 – 3:05 Clarice Aiello Clarice Aiello Quantum Biology Institute
3:05 – 4:30 R&D Panel: “Current Challenges and Opportunities of Optically Addressable Protein Systems”Moderated by Songi Han · Northwestern University
4:30 – 4:45 Closing remarks and adjournment

Program is subject to change.

Organized by
Songi Han Songi Han
Northwestern University
Peter Maurer Peter Maurer
University of Chicago
Register

Ways to get involved.

Registration closes September 30, or earlier if we reach capacity.

Workshop Attendance

Register to attend

Registration closes September 30, or sooner if we reach our 150-attendee capacity — whichever comes first. The registration fee is $150.

Register now →
Sponsors

Made possible by our partners.

QBI² is supported by leading institutions, foundations, and industry partners committed to advancing quantum bioscience.

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