Researchers have discovered how certain photosynthetic bacteria use a sophisticated quantum mechanism to increase their efficiency when capturing sunlight. The study, published today in the journal Nature Chemistry and led by Professor Jenny Clark, reveals that nature has been using a process called “singlet fission,” effectively a “two-for-one” energy deal, to optimize solar harvesting. The findings provide a new blueprint for green technology, particularly as engineers attempt to copy this mechanism to build next-generation solar panels and quantum technologies.
While scientists have long understood the basic rules of how plants and bacteria convert light into chemical fuel, the biological role of singlet fission has historically remained poorly understood.
How the energy split works
Normally, photosynthesis operates on a one-photon, one-energy-packet rule. When a pigment molecule absorbs a single particle of light (a photon), it generates a single packet of energy (an exciton) and sends it to the cell’s reaction center.
This latest research follows laboratory experiments on purple photosynthetic bacteria showing that a novel hetero-fission process occurs within their light-harvesting complexes. When a high-energy pigment called a carotenoid absorbs sunlight, it does not just create one energy packet. Instead, it splits that energy into two lower-energy packets called “triplets.”
These triplets, which are born across neighboring molecules, are locked into a protective quantum state that prevents their energy from bleeding off as waste heat. By partnering up, they act like a tiny, long-lasting biological battery. They safely store the energy for a fraction of a second before joining forces, allowing the power to be smoothly transferred into the rest of the cell.
A built-in buffer against waste
To understand how this enhances efficiency, the researchers discovered that these triplets have an advantage: They are blocked from losing their energy rapidly. This allows them to act like a long-lasting biological battery, storing the energy safely until it is needed.
By creating this buffer, the mechanism temporarily staggers the delivery of energy. This ensures the biological system is never overwhelmed while simultaneously maximizing the amount of solar energy successfully harvested.
“We’ve discovered that nature has been using quantum mechanics to bypass standard efficiency limits for billions of years. By leveraging this ‘two-for-one’ energy deal, the bacteria can store power safely like a biological battery rather than losing it as waste heat. If we can copy this natural blueprint, we can design next-generation quantum technologies that are uniquely stable, changing how we store and handle delicate quantum information at room temperature,” says Professor Clark.
A model for stable quantum devices
By exploring these quantum mechanisms, the study pinpointed exactly how the bacteria seamlessly integrate physics and biology to augment their energy output. The findings are intended to inform future quantum and advanced technology design, allowing engineers to mimic these natural genetic blueprints to keep quantum states stable and protected in human-made devices.
Publication details
Shuangqing Wang et al, Singlet fission mediates carotenoid-to-bacteriochlorophyll energy transfer in purple photosynthetic bacteria, Nature Chemistry (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02186-7
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University of Sheffield
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