We are, however, most interested in this physics within a very specific context: the study of biological systems. As such we are interested in how fundamental entities such as electrons, protons, photons and phonons underpin macroscopic outcomes in the warm, wet and complex environments of life. This also means a fundamentally new conception of biology, expanding the common view that chemicals are at the heart of biological systems, by considering the effects that fields have. As is often the case, this is not a new idea. Alexandrer Gurwitsch, in the 1920s, advocated for fields in the understanding of biology – the so called “morphogenetic” field. Gurwitsch was also the first to observe mitogenetic radiation - low intensity photons produced during metabolism, a form of non-chemical communication. The Foundation has since replicated his experiments.
Our interest in this area encompasses the effects of electric fields on morphogenesis (also known as bioelectricity, indicating that all living things have an “electrome”), as well as non-chemical signalling and various forms of electromagnetic radiation – biophotons, ultraweak photon emissions, and delayed luminescence – in the biological context. We are intrigued as to what extent rare quantum phenomena such as entanglement and superradiance play in these interactions of light with living matter. The capture and dissipation of light energy could point the way towards understanding how light and light-reactive molecules play a role in the bioenergetics of living organisms, and in related health concerns. These molecules include chromophores in the cytoskeleton, such as tryptophan in tubulin, but perhaps just as importantly, ancient molecules found in the electron transport chain, which indicate mitochondrial function can be “tuned” by different wavelengths of light. Life depends on the management of energy and may have emerged from the nonequilibrium dissipation of energy. This interest in energy, and how energy flow is related to work, entropy and information, has long informed our research and its focus on the bioenergetics of mitochondria.
We are also interested in how knowledge of chronic health conditions can be accelerated by studying acute versions of these conditions. This has led to our focus on space health, where astronauts are displaying an accelerated ageing phenotype that appears to be related to mitochondrial dysfunction. Space travel, and our physiological response to this travel, can thus act as a laboratory in which to better understand terrestrial ageing. We aim to add to what research there is into these effects, particularly on topics that have received less attention, such as the potential effects of hypomagnetic fields on mitochondrial function. This ties in well with our interest in quantum biology, with its focus on electromagnetic fields in biological systems. All life on Earth has evolved within specific terrestrial electromagnetic and gravitational fields. We think it is a matter of urgency to understand the effects of changing these fields before we consider it safe to send humans into space.
