St Andrews scientists join £20m quantum biology research drive

Researchers at the University of St Andrews are part of a world-class team awarded a major Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Strategic Longer and Larger (sLoLa) grant to explore one of nature’s most intriguing mysteries: how animals sense the Earth’s magnetic field.

The £20 million investment from BBSRC will power four ambitious projects across the UK, with St Andrews contributing to the project “Quantum sensing in nature and synthetic biology.”

The project, led by Professor Christiane Timmel at the University of Oxford, brings together experts from Oxford, Edinburgh, and St Andrews. From St Andrews, Dr Janet Lovett, Dr Hassane EL Mkami, and Dr Robert Hunter will play a central role in investigating magnetosensitive proteins – the molecular machinery thought to underpin animals’ ability to navigate using Earth’s magnetic field.

By uncovering the quantum-level processes behind this phenomenon, the team aims not only to solve a long-standing biological puzzle but also to harness these insights to engineer new “magnetogenetic” tools. Such tools could open up transformative biomedical applications, from non-invasive therapies to innovative diagnostic techniques.

The sLoLa scheme represents BBSRC’s long-term commitment to curiosity-driven research with the potential to reshape our understanding of biology. Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith, BBSRC Executive Chair, said: “Long-term investments through our sLoLa scheme bring researchers with different expertise together to collaboratively pursue questions whose answers may reshape our understanding of the living world.”

St Andrews’ involvement highlights its growing reputation in interdisciplinary science at the interface of biology and physics. By contributing expertise in advanced spectroscopy and quantum biology, St Andrews researchers will help push the boundaries of knowledge and innovation.