Maurer Lab – News
Excited to see our work on genetically encoded protein qubits featured in a recent Nature news article discussing how “quantum proteins” could open new possibilities for probing biology at the nanoscale.
Read the article:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00662-1
Honored and excited to share that the Sloan Foundation recognized our team’s work at the intersection of quantum engineering and biology. This is a testament to the incredible students who make this research possible.
Our research on protein-based qubits and their broader applications to quantum sensing in biology was featured on Big Brains, one of my favorite podcasts.
Watch the podcast on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU-WY4MxUmk
Thrilled to share that our protein qubit work has been named one of Physics World’s Top 10 Breakthroughs of 2025.
We are grateful to Physics World for this recognition, and to the outstanding students, postdocs, and collaborators who helped turn this idea from a bold concept into a working qubit platform.
We believe protein qubits open the door to many exciting experiments at the interface of quantum science, biology, and sensing.
Read the article:
https://physicsworld.com/a/top-10-breakthroughs-of-the-year-in-physics-for-2025-revealed/
Maurer Lab group on a cold Chicago winter day – we are not deterred!
Xiaofei Yu, Uri Zvi, Tian-Xing Zheng, and Jacob Feder, the first generation of students from the Maurer Lab, have graduated from the University of Chicago. Their work laid the scientific and cultural foundation of the lab, spanning quantum sensing, biophotonics, and molecular quantum engineering, and resulted in a series of great publications, collaborations, and new experimental directions.
Congratulations on the milestone!
The Berggren Center for Quantum Biology and Medicine at the University of Chicago is launching a bold step to develop tools from quantum technology to advance medicine. Built on developing transformative quantum tools and training bilingual researchers who bridge quantum engineering and medicine, the Center unites engineers, physicists, and clinicians — and we are excited to be part of this exciting effort.
Honored to give the Skyline Chat at the Consulate General of Switzerland in Chicago, where I shared our work on quantum sensing and its impact on life sciences against the backdrop of the city skyline.
It was a great opportunity to discuss the future of quantum innovation and international scientific collaboration.
Watch the full discussion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRt1AmvuBcs
Excited to join Phase 2 of the Center for Molecular Quantum Transduction, where we are advancing new ways to interface quantum systems with molecular and biological processes. This center brings together quantum engineering, chemistry, and biology to enable fundamentally new approaches to sensing and transduction at the molecular scale.
Peter Maurer has been named a Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago Investigator. CZ Biohub Chicago advances engineering technologies for precise, molecular-level measurements in human tissues to better understand and treat inflammatory disease.
Our lab is excited to be part of this new interdisciplinary approach.
Farewell party for Mouzhe Xie.
Huge congratulations to our first postdoc, on starting his independent faculty position at the School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University.
Well deserved — wishing you every success in this exciting next chapter. Congratulations, Prof. Xie!
Honored to host JB Pritzker at University of Chicago for a Quantum Engineering lab tour. We shared our experiments and vision for quantum sensing in the life sciences—an exciting conversation at the intersection of quantum technology and biology.
Kayaking lab outing on Lake Michigan. A perfect break to recharge, connect, and enjoy a nice Chicago summer together on the lake.
NSF funds a Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes (QLCI) with $25M over five years. The focusing of our new NSF center is on Quantum sensing for Biophysics and Bioengineering (QuBBE).
Proud to announce that our lab is part of Q-NEXT, one of five National Quantum Initiative centers in the U.S. Q-NEXT brings together national laboratories, universities, and industry partners to accelerate quantum innovation by advancing materials, devices, and technologies through large-scale collaboration.
