Is the Viral Genome Quantum Mechanical?

Is the Viral Genome Quantum Mechanical? | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 22 May 2025 V1 Latest version Share on Is the Viral Genome Quantum Mechanical? Authors : Prosanta Pal and Ramakrishna Podila 0000-0003-0472-2361 [email protected] Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174791178.89151927/v1 182 views 90 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract We explore a quantum mechanical framework for modeling mutation dynamics in viral genomes. Motivated by experimental observations, such as interference-like mutation patterns and an inverse relationship between genome size and per-site mutation rate, we represent the viral genome as a superposition state in a high-dimensional Hilbert space, and model mutations as quantum operators acting on this state. This is not a microscopic theory of replication but an effective, physically inspired model aimed at capturing non-classical features such as interference and entanglement in sequence evolution. We introduce structured mutation operators diagonal, random, and spatially correlated, and study their action on quantum sequence states using numerical simulations. Correlated operators with phase structure produce interference patterns in mutation probabilities, analogous to the electron double-slit experiment. Entangled mutation dynamics, modeled via cluster-state-like correlations, alter the scaling behavior of the per-site mutation rate with genome size. We show that while classical models predict a constant per-site mutation rate for small genomes, entangled models yield size-dependent rates that decrease as \( L^{-\alpha} \), where \( \alpha > 0 \) reflects the strength of correlation. This matches trends observed in RNA viruses with genomes below \(\sim 30\) kb. Finally, we propose two experimental tests: (1) detection of replication-speed-dependent interference fringes using modified viral polymerases, and (2) ensemble-level coherence signatures measurable by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Our results offer a testable hypothesis that quantum correlations may influence mutation dynamics in viral genomes below 30 kb in size. Supplementary Material File (si_quantum_virus_final_submission__copy_.pdf) Download 543.18 KB File (wiley_nat_sci_quantum_virus_final_submission__copy_.pdf) Download 7.09 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 22 May 2025 Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Authors Affiliations Prosanta Pal Clemson University View all articles by this author Ramakrishna Podila 0000-0003-0472-2361 [email protected] Clemson University View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 182 views 90 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Prosanta Pal, Ramakrishna Podila. Is the Viral Genome Quantum Mechanical?. Authorea . 22 May 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174791178.89151927/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . 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