Quantum computers can in principle solve certain problems exponentially more
quickly than their classical counterparts. We have not yet reached the advent
of useful quantum computation, but when we do, it will affect nearly all
scientific disciplines. In this review, we examine how current quantum
algorithms could revolutionize computational biology and bioinformatics. There
are potential benefits across the entire field, from the ability to process
vast amounts of information and run machine learning algorithms far more
efficiently, to algorithms for quantum simulation that are poised to improve
computational calculations in drug discovery, to quantum algorithms for
optimization that may advance fields from protein structure prediction to
network analysis. However, these exciting prospects are susceptible to "hype",
and it is also important to recognize the caveats and challenges in this new
technology. Our aim is to introduce the promise and limitations of emerging
quantum computing technologies in the areas of computational molecular biology
and bioinformatics.Comment: 23 pages, 3 figure