Quantum computing > Life sciences and biotech


The potential for quantum computing in biological research


Quantum computing is opening up new possibilities to advance bioscience research by accelerating drug discovery and helping to develop treatments for cancer, writes Eugenia Bahit


human biology-based methods. Moreover, in partnership with an investment group, they are also offering opportunities for companies working on new technologies and products to replace animal experimentation. And it is here, among the technologies that can help to reduce animal experimentation, where quantum computing stands out as an emerging area in the realm of biosciences, with a market that could reach more than 4,000 million dollars by 2028, according to market research firm MarketsandMarkets. Drug discovery is where quantum


D


ay by day, quantum computing is showing us its incredible potential for advancing biosciences and


its ability to become integral to the future of several research areas. Many fields can benefit from quantum computing, and there are many compelling reasons for choosing to explore its capabilities. One of them is the need for more humane and effective science; the second one is the promise of an emerging market.


The urgency for more constructive and efficient science The need for more humane and effective science is clear. Animal Free Research UK reports more than three million animal experiments are conducted in the UK, while Humane Society International claims that 50% are bred and killed without yielding any scientific benefit. According to their reports, in Europe, 32 beagles are used each year in agrochemical and new drug tests, and 25,000 animals have died through cosmetic testing after the EU’s ban. In the US, the situation seems to be more extreme. PeTA, the global organisation for the ethical treatment of animals, says that more than 110 million animals are killed yearly for scientific experimentation. And although the evidence suggests that nearly 95% of drugs tested on animals fail in human


6 Scientific Computing World Summer 2023


trials, animal testing remains a regulatory requirement across almost all of the globe. Dogs, cats, macaques, monkeys, pigs, guinea pigs, rabbits, fishes, birds, goats, llamas, hamsters, rats and mice are on the list of animal models for experimentation. “These animals are sentient beings”, says Dr Luis Falcón[1] Solidario[2]


, the President of GNU , a humanitarian organisation


headquartered in Spain and involved in the GNU Project for advancing software for public health. “Science that harms does not deserve to be called science”, he adds. There are many scientists, like Dr Falcón, who think it’s time to change the way to conduct science, proclaiming that animal experimentation is unethical and speciesist. In an interview with Nature Reviews Materials, Dr Donald Ingber, Director of the Wyss Institute at Harvard University[3]


,


challenged the reasons for animal testing by saying that “the question is whether we are fooling ourselves, because we convince ourselves that what we see is what we thought it should be”. Similar questions are the ones that


guide several organisations to research and promote alternatives to animal testing. Some institutions, such as the Center for Contemporary Sciences[4]


in the US,


are promoting changes in legislation and education to reach more effective and


‘Human decision- making process in the face of uncertainty gets unpredictable… quantum computing helps in modelling such intrinsic uncertainty’


Dr Dipesh Niraula, Applied research scientist at Florida’s Moffitt Cancer Center


computing has made the most significant advancements, followed by research areas such as cancer, genetics and genomics. All show promising results, whereas precision medicine and early diagnosis seem to be the next areas where quantum computing reveals its potential.


Accelerating the drug discovery process Drug development is a complex process.


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