A group of scientists achieved an unprecedented advance by loading a complete viral genome onto a quantum computer. The experiment marks an important step in applying this technology to biological and genetic analysis.
The research used the genome of the virus of hepatitis D (HDV) and a IBM Heron quantum processor with 156 qubits. The goal was to demonstrate that quantum computers can work with real genomic data and not just theoretical problems.
How they got a quantum computer to read a genome
The researchers had to transform the genetic information into a format compatible with quantum computing.
Genomes store information through sequences of letters like A, C, G, and T, while a quantum computer works with quantum states represented by qubits. For this reason, the team developed a system that allowed them to translate the genome into a language understandable by the hardware.
The work was carried out by scientists from the Wellcome Sanger Institute within the international program Quantum for Bio (Q4Bio), an initiative aimed at accelerating the use of quantum computing in human health.
Why they chose the hepatitis D virus
The team selected the hepatitis D virus because it has one of the smallest known genomes among animal viruses.
Its genetic material consists of approximately 1,700 nucleotides of circular RNA. However, it also exhibits a high capacity for mutation and complex biological structures, characteristics that make it a relevant test case for this type of research.
Additionally, it is a virus associated with severe liver infections transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids.
What genetic analyses they performed with the quantum computer
During the project, the researchers demonstrated several genomic capabilities using real quantum hardware.
Encoding DNA sequences in quantum format.
