Magnetosensitivity of tightly bound radical pairs in cryptochrome is enabled by the quantum Zeno effect

The radical pair mechanism accounts for the magnetic field sensitivity of a large class of chemical reactions and is hypothesised to underpin numerous magnetosensitive traits in biology, including the avian compass. Traditionally, magnetic field sensitivity in this mechanism is attributed to radical pairs with weakly interacting, well-separated electrons; closely bound pairs were considered unresponsive to weak fields due to arrested spin dynamics. In this study, we challenge this view by examining the FAD-superoxide radical pair within cryptochrome, a protein hypothesised to function as a biological magnetosensor. Contrary to expectations, we find that this tightly bound radical pair can respond to Earth-strength magnetic fields, provided that the recombination reaction is strongly asymmetric—a scenario invoking the quantum Zeno effect. These findings present a plausible mechanism for weak magnetic field effects in biology, suggesting that even closely associated radical pairs, like those involving superoxide, may play a role in magnetic sensing. Magnetoreception is used for navigation by migratory animals. Here the authors use spin dynamics simulations to show how asymmetric recombination of radical pairs enables sensitivity in cryptochromes for Earth-strength magnetic fields.