Fellowship focus: Investigating quantum coherence in fluorescent proteins. 
 
Quantum biology explores whether non-trivial quantum effects contribute to the functioning of living systems. While such effects are well understood at the level of individual atoms, it remains unclear how they can persist within the warm and complex environment of a living cell. Professor Kim’s Fellowship will address this question by investigating fluorescent proteins, which naturally emit light and can serve as stable light sources at room temperature. The project will examine how light energy is transferred and emitted within these proteins under cell-like conditions. Using advanced terahertz spectroscopy, the research aims to explain the mechanisms that enable quantum effects to persist in biological systems. Expected outcomes of the Fellowship include an interdisciplinary seminar hosted at Surrey and the submission of at least one joint international grant proposal.