QuEra Computing has announced that all three research projects it is involved in have advanced to Phase Two of Wellcome Leap’s Quantum for Bio Challenge. These projects, which secured three of the eight available spots, aim to revolutionize healthcare and biology through quantum computing applications.
The Wellcome Leap's Quantum for Bio program is designed to identify, develop, and demonstrate biology and healthcare applications that will benefit from quantum computers expected to emerge in the next three to five years. The program awards up to $40 million in research funding to multidisciplinary teams and offers up to $10 million in challenge prizes for successful proof-of-concept demonstrations.
Phase One focused on quantum algorithm development, with progress evaluated by the Wellcome Leap Quantum for Bio Program Director and an expert technical team. Phase Two emphasizes large-scale simulations of the developed algorithms using classical high-performance computing. Teams will perform classical HPC simulations of their quantum algorithms for 30 to 40 qubits and compare the results with standard classical approaches.
Quantum Computing for Covalent Inhibitors in Drug Discovery
Led by the University of Nottingham, in partnership with Phasecraft and QuEra Computing, this project aims to demonstrate how quantum computing and classical simulation methods can be combined to tackle drug discovery for myotonic dystrophy. Myotonic dystrophy is a genetic condition causing progressive muscle weakness and wasting, often affecting the heart, breathing, swallowing muscles, bowels, lens of the eye, and brain.
Jonathan Hirst, a Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies and Professor of Computational Chemistry, stated, "We are delighted to have the opportunity to continue working towards the ambitious goal of developing and utilising this fast-developing quantum computing technology to help advance the treatment of a dreadful disease. We hope that the project will be an exemplar that paves the way for wider impact across the pharmaceutical sector."
Accelerating Drug Discovery Using Programmable Quantum Simulation
This project, led by Harvard University, MIT, and QuEra, focuses on developing and implementing quantum simulation algorithms to accelerate computer-aided drug discovery. Biological experiments will benchmark the quantum algorithms, and the project team will develop application pipelines leveraging quantum simulation to facilitate structure-based virtual screening. Specific research areas include developing a pipeline for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and accurate estimation of ligand-protein binding affinity.
Quanta-Bind: Demystifying Proteins
Led by qBraid, with partners MIT, University of Chicago, North Carolina A&T, Argonne National Lab, and QuEra, this project aims to harness quantum computing for analyzing biological processes to improve human health. The team will focus on metal interactions with amyloid-β and α-synuclein, two key proteins closely associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. The project will explore new computational techniques, integrating quantum chemistry with quantum computing to provide insights into these intricate interactions.
QuEra’s neutral-atom quantum computers combine system size, coherence, and advanced processing modes, offering a promising path to large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computing. Since November 2022, QuEra’s first-generation neutral-atom quantum computers have been publicly accessible via a large public cloud service. These computers operate at room temperature and are built to integrate seamlessly with classical computing infrastructure.
Nathan Gemelke, co-founder and Chief Technology Strategist, QuEra Computing, said, "As we move into Phase Two, we are thrilled to continue contributing our neutral-atom quantum computing expertise to these transformative healthcare and biology projects. The transition to large-scale classical simulations is a significant step toward demonstrating the practical impact of quantum algorithms in real-world applications. Our commitment remains to collaborate with leading academic and industry teams to bridge the gap between theoretical quantum research and impactful medical breakthroughs."
