Pasqal and True Nexus Apply Quantum Computing to Protein Gelation

Insider BriefPRESS RELEASE – Pasqal (Nasdaq: PSQL), a global provider of neutral-atom quantum computers, and True Nexus, a computational intelligence company focused on making protein functionality programmable for real-world food applications, today announced a major milestone in their collaboration: the successful use of Pasqal’s neutral-atom quantum technology to encode selected protein structures relevant to the molecular mechanisms that drive protein gelation — the process that turns liquids into gels and gives foods their structure and texture.The milestone marks a first, decisive step toward making protein functionality, one of the most valuable and least understood properties in the global food and biotech economy, computationally accessible and, ultimately, programmable.Proteins are the foundation of the modern food economy, and one of its greatest unsolved problems. Their commercial value rests not on their sequence but on their functionality: how they gel, bind, foam and give texture. For decades, that functionality has resisted design. Industry could read a protein’s sequence, yet the deeper chemistry that determines how a protein behaves under real-world conditions remained extremely difficult to model computationally — discoverable only through slow, costly trial and error at the bench. It is why, despite twenty years of effort and billions in investment, plant proteins have not consistently matched animal proteins across key functionalities associated with gelatin, dairy, egg and meat applications, leaving an entire industry to build on a layer it could not see.True Nexus and Pasqal are now bridging that gap. By combining AI-driven protein intelligence with Pasqal’s neutral-atom quantum technology, the collaboration is laying the foundation to understand how proteins form gels — and how that behavior could ultimately be controlled. The work aims to uncover the link between protein structure and function, opening new possibilities for the design of new, better-performing proteins. The prize is a market of global scale: protein demand is projected to approach USD 1 trillion by 2030, according to Bloomberg Intelligence, with plant-based, halal and regionally grown sources still largely untapped for want of a design tool.“Encoding real protein structures on our neutral-atom processors shows how quantum can move from the lab toward the problems that matter to industry and to nations,” said Mark Armstrong, CCO EMEA of Pasqal. “Protein functionality is exactly the kind of high-value, classically hard challenge neutral-atom technology is built for.”For the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the milestone is a flagship demonstration of applied quantum technology with national significance. Delivered through MCIT (Ministry of Communications and Information Technology), it shows how the Kingdom could turn quantum from a research capability into a real industrial engine. Beyond advancing food security and a central position in the future protein economy, it points to a broader ambition: establishing Saudi Arabia as a leader in AI and quantum applied to life sciences and biotechnology, in direct support of Vision 2030.The same approach is designed to reach well beyond food. The computational engine at the heart of the collaboration could be directed at other strategic sectors — from energy and the environment to drug discovery, materials science and finance — under a proposed MCIT-led initiative, the Saudi Quantum DeepTech Foundry, positioning the Kingdom as a global hub for quantum applied to the problems that matter most.“This is the moment protein functionality stops being a mystery and starts becoming designable. Together with Pasqal, we are bringing the chemistry that governs how proteins behave onto neutral-atom quantum hardware, opening a new path to understand, predict and ultimately design protein functionality.” said Dominik Grabinski, Chief Executive Officer of True Nexus. “This can change what is possible for the future protein economy.”TopicsShare Get the latest research, company news, and market intelligence every week. MENTIONED IN THE ARTICLEPASQAL’s quantum computers control neutral atoms with optical tweezers using lasers to manipulate quantum registers with up to a few hundred qubits. Location in Boston MA.True Nexus is the Saudi branch of AI Bobby, which specializes in using generative AI and quantum machine learning to predict and program food protein functionalities. The company accelerates protein research and development by enabling rapid prediction and optimization of protein properties, reducing R&D timelines from months to days. Its technology focuses on applications in food protein science, alternative proteins, and plant-based protein R&D.More in Research The Quantum Insider (TQI) is the leading source for the latest quantum technology news, market intelligence, industry analysis, and data covering the global quantum ecosystem. NEWSROOMPLATFORMSERVICESCOMPANY© 2026 The Quantum Insider. All rights reserved. Part of the Resonance networkOne of our team will be in touch to learn more about your requirements, and provide pricing and access options.Subscribe to our industry leading leading newsletter for the latest in quantum news and insights. Necessary cookies are always on to ensure the website works. Optional cookies help us understand how the site is used. Privacy Policy