Quantum Biology and Redox Signaling
A Special Issue of Antioxidants (ISSN 2076-3921) belonging to the section "ROS, RNS and RSS".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 353
Editor
Interests: photoregulatory signal transduction; quantum biology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Living systems operate at the intersection of chemistry, physics, and biology, yet many fundamental biological processes challenge classical explanations. Quantum biology has emerged as a rapidly growing field that investigates how quantum phenomena—such as tunneling, coherence, spin dynamics, and entanglement—may play functional roles in biological systems. Compelling examples include enzymatic hydrogen tunneling, excitonic coherence in photosynthesis, and radical-pair mechanisms implicated in magnetoreception.
In parallel, redox signaling has become a central paradigm in cell biology and physiology. Once viewed primarily as sources of oxidative damage, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are now recognized as tightly regulated signaling mediators that control processes ranging from metabolism and gene expression to immunity, development, and aging. Redox reactions involve electron transfer, spin states, and transient radical species—features that naturally invite quantum-mechanical descriptions.
Despite rapid progress in both areas, their intersection remains underexplored. How do quantum effects influence redox-dependent signaling pathways? Can quantum coherence or spin chemistry modulate biological electron transfer under physiological conditions? What are the limits imposed by thermal noise, and how have living systems evolved to exploit—or suppress—quantum behavior? Addressing these questions involves crossing traditional disciplinary boundaries and integrating theory, experiments, and computation.
This Special Issue will bring together researchers from biology, chemistry, physics, and medicine to explore the emerging interface between quantum biology and redox signaling. Contributions may include experimental studies, theoretical frameworks, computational modeling, methodological advances, and critical reviews.
Understanding quantum effects in redox biology has profound implications. It can reshape our view of cellular regulation, inform new therapeutic strategies for redox-related diseases, and deepen our understanding of the physical chemistry governing living systems. More broadly, it addresses a fundamental question: to what extent is life shaped by quantum forces?
We invite submissions of original research articles and reviews that advance this exciting and interdisciplinary frontier.
Dr. Margaret Ahmad
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antioxidants is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- quantum biology
- redox signaling
- electron transfer
- radical pair mechanisms
- reactive oxygen species (ROS)
- spin chemistry
- biological electron tunneling
- oxidative stress and signaling
- quantum effects in living systems
- bioenergetics
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