In the Spring Series at The Guy Foundation, we will focus on the role that water plays in supporting and facilitating the processes fundamental to life. It is well-accepted that water is integral to sustaining living organisms. What is less well appreciated is the novel behaviour of water at its interface with biological materials. We will explore the physics of water in the biological context and to what extent quantum mechanics might be implicated.

The Spring Series will consist of five sessions:

Session 1: Wednesday, March 12. The physics of water in biology. Introduction: Professor Stan Botchway, Central Laser Facility, UKRI-STFC. Speaker: Dr Philip Kurian, Howard University.

Session 2: Wednesday, March 26. The physics of water: charge, membranes, and interactions with light. Introduction: Dr. Betony Adams, The Guy Foundation, and Stellenbosch University. Speaker: Dr Ali Hassanali, The International Center for Theoretical Physics, Trieste.

Session 3: Wednesday, April 23. Quantum effects of water associated with proteins – the importance of order. Speaker: Dr Nathan Babcock, Howard University. Speaker: TBC

Session 4: Wednesday, May 7. Origins of life: water, lights, action. Introduction: Dr Robert Fosbury, UCL and Emeritus Astronomer at the European Southern Observatory (ESO). Speaker: Professor Alistair Nunn, The Guy Foundation and University of Westminster.

Session 5: Wednesday, May 21. Implications of water as a quantum biomolecule for quantum biology research. Introduction: Dr Betony Adams, The Guy Foundation, and Stellenbosch University. Followed by a roundtable discussion among series speakers and participants.

To register to attend the online lectures live on Zoom, contact n.copping@theguyfoundation.org

The Guy Foundation is a UK-based charitable foundation established in 2018 to facilitate thinking and research on the role of quantum mechanics and thermodynamics in living systems, with the ultimate goal of using this understanding to advance healthcare. We curate, lead, and fund an interdisciplinary research collaboration and have published a number of scientific papers. We support the scientific community by convening online symposia on quantum biology and bioenergetics, and we host an active network of over 200 scientists and institutions across the globe. You can find more details on our website, including talks, publications, and who we are.