A Unified Quantum–Thermodynamic–Informational Framework for Biomolecular Architecture: Toward a First-Principles Theory of Living Matter

This paper presents a first-principles theoretical framework—termed the Quantum–Thermodynamic–Informational (QTI) framework—that unifies the physics of biomolecules under three axiomatic pillars: quantum electronic structure, stochastic thermodynamics of dissipative systems, and algorithmic information theory. Central to this framework is the Principle of Functional Thermodynamic Efficiency (PFTE), a variational principle that quantifies the evolutionary optimization of biomolecular systems. The manuscript derives a rigorous mathematical expression for PFTE, defines its constituent metrics from physical law, and demonstrates its predictive power for protein folding fidelity, replication error rates, and membrane self-assembly. The QTI framework yields testable, quantitative predictions that distinguish it from classical biochemical models and establishes a foundation for physics-driven synthetic biology.