Quantum@SUN Researcher Leads the Africa/Middle East Team at the World's First Quantum Biology Hackathon in Berlin

From 31 October to 2 November 2025, Quantum@SUN researcher Abbas (Omid) Hassasfar represented the Africa-Middle East region as a team leader at the first Quantum Biology Hackathon , hosted at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) in Berlin, Germany.

The event was co-hosted by HKW with support from Dr Sara Morais dos Santos Bruss and the Quantum Biology Institute (QBI). Organisation was led by Clarice Aiello and the QBI team together with Pedro Alvarez from the University of Oldenburg.

Programme Overview

The first two days focused on concept development and collaborative problem-solving. Teams refined hypotheses, framed research questions, and developed preliminary models in an intensive interdisciplinary format.

The final day opened with a keynote by Clarice Aiello on how quantum effects may influence biological function and why time-bounded collaborations such as hackathons can accelerate discovery. Teams then delivered presentations of their findings, followed by a panel discussion with organisers and team leaders.

Team Projects

• Africa and the Middle East — Abbas (Omid) Hassasfar, Stellenbosch University: Investigating the possibility of vibrationally assisted electron tunnelling in drug efficacy.
• Asia — Dr Vishvendra Singh Poonia, IIT Roorkee: Quantum effects in DNA repair.
• Oceania — Dr Gesa Grüning, UNSW: How thermal noise influences photosynthesis in cryptophytes.
• Europe — Jonathan Hungerland, University of Oldenburg: Magnetic field effects on optically active proteins.
• North America — Shah Ishmam, North Carolina State University: Quantum simulation of the radical pair mechanism.
• South America — Iara Patricia, UFRGS: How likely is it that delocalisation helps ion channels function.

Photo Highlights

HKW Berlin — Day 1

Rapid Team Work

Interdisciplinary Exchange

Team Presentations

Closing Session

Looking Ahead

The first Quantum Biology Hackathon showed how collaborative scientific exploration can generate new ideas, build global links, and inspire early-career researchers. Organisers and participants expressed strong interest in continuing the initiative in future years, with South America and Africa discussed as possible hosts for the next edition.