Towards practical applications in quantum computational biology

Fascinating progress in understanding our world at the smallest scales moves us to the border of a new technological revolution governed by quantum physics. By taking advantage of quantum phenomena, quantum computing devices allow a speedup in solving diverse tasks. In this Perspective, we discuss the potential impact of quantum computing on computational biology. Bearing in mind the limitations of existing quantum computing devices, we attempt to indicate promising directions for further research in the emerging area of quantum computational biology. Quantum computing has the potential to assist with myriad tasks in science. In this Perspective, the applicability and promising directions of quantum computing in computational biology, genetics and bioinformatics is evaluated and discussed.