ANUSANDHAN - A Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Research Repository Volume-1 pp 58-68
Editors: Dr. Shamim Ahmed Shamim Khan Barbhuiya. Dr. Saurabh Sarma.
Dr. Kowser Alam Laskar. Dr. Atiqur Rahman Laskar. Dr. Gulenoor Islam Barbhuiya (2026)
ISBN: 978-93-94174-56-6
Chapter 8
Quantum Algorithms for Protein Folding in Bacterial Infection: A Promising Avenue in Biomedical Research
Hussain Ahmed Barbhuiya1 and Shamim Ahmed Shamim Khan Barbhuiya2*,
1Department of Physics, M.H.C.M Science College, Algapur, Hailakandi, India
2 Department of Zoology, M.H.C.M Science College, Algapur, Hailakandi, India
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most urgent threats to global public health, with bacterial infections increasingly evading the drugs designed to treat them. At the heart of many resistance mechanisms lie proteins - enzymes that destroy antibiotics, pumps that expel drugs from bacterial cells and altered targets that no longer bind to therapeutic molecules. Understanding the three-dimensional structures and dynamic behaviors of these proteins is essential for designing new drugs that can overcome resistance. Yet, predicting how proteins fold remains one of the most challenging problems in computational biology. Recent advances in quantum computing offer a new approach to this problem. Quantum algorithms, particularly the Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE), quantum annealing and hybrid quantum classical methods, are now being applied to simulate the folding of peptides and proteins relevant to bacterial infections. This article provides an accessible overview of how quantum algorithms are being used to study bacterial resistance proteins, including beta-lactamases, penicillin-binding proteins, efflux pumps and antimicrobial peptides. The article review key algorithmic approaches and discusses recent experimental demonstrations on real quantum hardware and examine the integration of quantum computing with artificial intelligence for drug discovery. Finally, the study consider the current limitations of quantum hardware and outline the path forward for translating these computational advances into clinical impact.
Keywords
Antimicrobial resistance, quantum computing, protein folding, quantum annealing, bacterial infection, drug discovery.
Cite this Chapter: Hussain Ahmed Barbhuiya and Shamim Ahmed Shamim Khan Barbhuiya. 2026. Quantum Algorithms for Protein Folding in Bacterial Infection: A Promising Avenue in Biomedical Research. In: Dr. Shamim Ahmed Shamim Khan Barbhuiya. Dr. Saurabh Sarma. Dr. Kowser Alam Laskar. Dr. Atiqur Rahman Laskar. Dr. Gulenoor Islam Barbhuiya (Eds.), ANUSANDHAN-A Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Research Repository. Excellent Publishers, India. pp. 58-68. doi: https://doi.org/10.20546/978-93-94174-56-6_8
