The university, along with partners Phasecraft and QuEra Computing are one of only 12 successful teams worldwide to have been selected for funding as part of the Wellcome Leap support programme ‘Quantum for Bio’ that aims to accelerate applications of quantum computing to address pressing health challenges.
The “Quantum computing for covalent inhibitors in drug discovery” project is led by Jonathan Hirst and Katie Inzani from the University of Nottingham and co-founder of Phasecraft, Ashley Montanaro combining expertise from human health sciences and computational chemistry to quantum algorithm development and quantum hardware.
By exploiting the properties of quantum systems for information processing, it is possible to accurately model systems where quantum mechanics plays a key role, such as in materials science, chemistry and even drug discovery.
In terms of drug discovery, the project will demonstrate how it is possible to harness quantum computing and classical simulation methods to tackle the crucial task of drug discovery for myotonic dystrophy.
Myotonic dystrophy is a genetic condition that causes progressive muscle weakness and wasting and often affects the electrical conduction system of the heart, breathing and swallowing muscles, bowels, lens of the eye and brain. It is the most frequent muscular dystrophy worldwide, with an estimated 6,500 people affected in the UK and around 3.6 million people globally.
Bristol and London-based start-up Phasecraft will apply its research in quantum algorithms to developing algorithms that can harness the developments made in quantum computing to help further drug discovery for the condition.
Since launching in 2019 as a spinout from UCL and the University of Bristol, the team has developed algorithms with significant computational efficiency. It is currently focused on developing quantum algorithms to the point of practical quantum advantage - when quantum computers outperform classical computers for useful real-world applications, such as drug discovery.
Katie Inzani, who holds an EPSRC Quantum Technology Career Development Fellowship and is an Assistant Professor in the School of Chemistry at the University of Nottingham, said, “We have brought together a multi-disciplinary, multi-organisational team which will adopt a novel collaborative approach to research that is grounded on innovation across all stages of the drug discovery process.”
Ashley Montanaro, co-founder and CEO of Phasecraft, added, “We’re working hard to get to the point where quantum computing can outperform classical computers for real, practical problems and drug discovery may be one of the areas where this technology could have a significant impact. Our quantum algorithms for simulating quantum systems have already shown remarkable speedups over previous work, and we’re excited to be applying these ideas to human health, in collaboration with an outstanding team and using a world-class quantum hardware platform.”
The quantum computing hardware for the project has been built by QuEra Computing, a provider of quantum computers based on neutral atoms. Based in Boston USA, the company is founded on pioneering research conducted at Harvard University and MIT.
