Frequently Asked Questions

BioSonify is a free web-based ambient music synthesizer that generates meditative soundscapes from real protein sequences of living organisms. Unlike conventional meditation music apps that use pre-recorded loops or arbitrary algorithms, BioSonify derives every musical parameter — root pitch, scale selection, melodic patterns, and tonal character — from vibrational frequency ratios computed through quantum chemistry (DFT B3LYP method), based on research by Markus Buehler at MIT (2019).

Each of the 20 included organisms produces a scientifically unique sonic fingerprint through six layered voice instruments rooted in Indian classical music theory: tanpura drone, angelic choir pad, sitar, bamboo flute (bansuri), chimes, and harp.

Most meditation and sound healing apps rely on pre-recorded loops, random note generation within pleasant scales, or scientifically unsupported frequency claims (like 432 Hz or Solfeggio frequencies). BioSonify is fundamentally different: the music emerges directly from the molecular structure of life.

A Sacred Lotus sounds different from a Humpback Whale because their proteins are chemically different — not because a sound designer chose different samples. BioSonify also uses real Indian classical raga theory (pentatonic scales, vadi/samvadi emphasis, Markov-driven melodic patterns) and Ayurvedic therapeutic presets, providing a scientifically grounded alternative to binaural beats and frequency healing.

Yes, BioSonify is completely free with no accounts, subscriptions, or paywalls. All 20 organisms, all six voice instruments, the Ayurvedic dosha presets, audio/video recording, timed sessions, and the sacred geometry visualizer are available at no cost. The app runs entirely in your browser — no downloads required.

BioSonify works on any modern device with a web browser that supports the Web Audio API. This includes desktop computers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari), smartphones (iOS Safari, Android Chrome), and tablets. It is a Progressive Web App (PWA), so you can install it to your home screen for an app-like experience on both iOS and Android.

Yes. BioSonify is a Progressive Web App with a service worker that caches all necessary assets. After your first visit, you can use it offline — ideal for airplane meditation sessions, camping trips, or anywhere without internet. All synthesis happens in real-time on your device, so no server connection is needed for playback.

BioSonify's protein-to-music pipeline has five stages:

1. Frequency analysis — Each amino acid in the protein is counted, and the most common one determines the root pitch (Sa) using its quantum-chemistry-derived base frequency.
2. Character scoring — A weighted score from all 20 amino acid types (+1.0 bright to -1.0 dark) determines the overall tonal mood.
3. Scale selection — The character score selects a pentatonic raga: Bhupali (major) for bright proteins, Shivaranjani (minor) for neutral, or Darbari (deep minor) for dark.
4. Markov chain construction — Adjacent amino acid pairs in the sequence create a transition probability matrix that drives unique melodic patterns.
5. Vadi/samvadi identification — The two most common amino acids become the most prominent scale degrees, creating melodic gravity.

The result is distributed to six voice instruments that play in perfect harmonic coherence.

Biosonification is the process of converting biological data — such as protein sequences, DNA, or molecular structures — into audible sound. BioSonify specifically sonifies protein sequences using vibrational frequency ratios computed through density functional theory (DFT B3LYP).

Unlike simple data sonification that maps numbers to arbitrary pitches, biosonification preserves the physical relationships between molecular vibrations, making the resulting music a genuine acoustic representation of the organism's molecular chemistry.

BioSonify is based on research by Markus Buehler and colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, published in APL Bioengineering (2019). Their methodology used Density Functional Theory with the B3LYP functional and 6-31G* basis set to compute the normal vibrational modes of all 20 standard amino acids.

Each amino acid has characteristic vibrational frequencies determined by its molecular geometry, bond lengths, and atomic masses. BioSonify implements 8 vibrational frequency ratios per amino acid, normalized to a base frequency of 61.74 Hz, preserving the intervallic relationships during transposition to audible ranges.

Amino acid frequency ratios are the normalized vibrational mode frequencies of each amino acid, computed through quantum chemistry. Every amino acid has a unique set of vibrations determined by its molecular structure. BioSonify uses 8 ratios per amino acid — for example, Alanine: 1.00, 1.23, 1.45, 1.89, 2.12, 2.67, 3.01, 3.45 — all referenced to 61.74 Hz with per-amino-acid base multipliers.

These ratios are preserved during transposition — when an organism's pitch is shifted for different voice registers, the internal intervallic relationships stay intact. This is what gives each organism its unique sonic fingerprint rather than merely a different starting pitch.

Each organism sounds different because its protein has a unique amino acid composition. The distribution of amino acids determines four musical dimensions:

• Root pitch — the most common amino acid sets Sa (the tonic)
• Tonal mood — the weighted character score selects major, minor, or deep minor scales
• Melodic patterns — amino acid adjacency in the sequence creates a unique Markov transition matrix
• Prominent notes — the two most common amino acids become vadi and samvadi

For example, Humpback Whale Prestin is rich in hydrophobic amino acids (Leucine, Valine, Isoleucine) producing a deep, oceanic minor sound, while Sacred Lotus storage protein has glutamine-rich repeats creating a bright, floating major sound.

BioSonify builds a Markov transition matrix from each protein sequence by counting how often one amino acid follows another. Amino acids are ranked by frequency and mapped to scale degrees, then the transition probabilities between adjacent pairs become melodic tendencies.

The RagaPatternGenerator uses a three-layer note selection: 80% stepwise motion (smooth, meditative movement), 10% vadi/samvadi jumps (dramatic intervals to the most prominent notes), and 10% Markov chain (the organism's unique phrase signature). This means even two organisms sharing the same scale produce different melodies because their protein sequences have different adjacency patterns.

BioSonify includes 20 organisms across 8 biological categories:

• Plants — Eucalyptus, Sacred Lotus, Moso Bamboo, English Oak, Cherry Blossom, Peat Moss
• Insects — Honeybee, Monarch Butterfly, Firefly
• Birds — Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Barn Owl
• Mammals — Humpback Whale, Bottlenose Dolphin
• Marine — Brain Coral, Moon Jellyfish, Common Octopus
• Fungi — Lion's Mane, Baker's Yeast
• Microorganisms — Spirulina, Water Bear (Tardigrade)

Each organism uses a real protein selected for its most remarkable biological trait.

Each protein was selected for its biological significance to the organism's most remarkable trait:

• Humpback Whale uses Prestin, the motor protein in its hearing organ
• Firefly uses Luciferase, the enzyme that catalyzes bioluminescence
• Tardigrade uses the CAHS protein that enables survival in extreme desiccation
• Sacred Lotus uses its seed storage protein, which maintains viability for centuries
• Common Octopus uses Reflectin, the protein behind adaptive camouflage
• Monarch Butterfly uses Cryptochrome, the protein that senses magnetic fields for navigation

The music is derived not from any arbitrary protein, but from the one that makes each organism extraordinary.

The Humpback Whale produces one of BioSonify's deepest, most oceanic soundscapes. Its Prestin protein is rich in hydrophobic amino acids — Leucine (grounded), Valine (solid), and Isoleucine (earthy) — which form the transmembrane helices of this hearing protein.

This pushes the character score strongly negative, selecting the Shivaranjani or Darbari minor scale. The low root pitch (Sa around A2, 110 Hz) adds gravitational depth. The result is a melancholic, vast, and deeply meditative sound — ideal for deep sleep music or ocean-themed meditation.

The Sacred Lotus produces a bright, floating, ethereal soundscape. Its seed storage protein is glutamine-rich, with repetitive sequence patterns that create unusually smooth Markov transitions favoring stepwise melodic motion.

The near-neutral to slightly positive character score selects the Bhupali major pentatonic scale, reinforcing a serene and meditative quality. The Sacred Lotus is one of BioSonify's most universally calming organisms — perfect for morning meditation, mindfulness practice, and as a natural sleep aid.

The Common Octopus uses Reflectin, the protein responsible for its adaptive camouflage. Reflectin has a highly unusual amino acid composition with repetitive Methionine-Aspartate-Methionine-Glycine-Arginine motifs.

This creates strong cyclic patterns in the Markov matrix, producing melodies that sound almost alien compared to typical proteins. The mix of neutral (Methionine, Arginine), bright (Glycine), and resonant (Aspartic Acid) amino acids creates an unpredictable, chromatic-feeling quality that makes the Octopus one of the most distinctive organisms in the collection.

The Firefly uses Luciferase, the enzyme that catalyzes the bioluminescence reaction producing its signature glow. Luciferase has a diverse amino acid distribution that produces moderate character scores, typically landing in the major pentatonic (Bhupali) range.

The melodic patterns reflect the protein's enzymatic structure — a mix of helices and sheets that create varied transition probabilities. The result is a warm, gently shimmering soundscape that evokes night gardens and summer evenings, making it popular for nighttime ambient listening and study music.

BioSonify includes three therapeutic presets based on Ayurveda, the traditional Indian system of medicine. Each dosha preset overrides the protein-derived scale with a raga traditionally associated with balancing that constitution:

• Vata (Air + Space) — Bhupali raga with long reverb and low filter cutoff for grounding anxiety, restlessness, and insomnia
• Pitta (Fire + Water) — Yaman raga with moderate effects for cooling irritability and anger
• Kapha (Earth + Water) — Shivaranjani raga with short reverb and open filter for energizing sluggishness

The organism's root pitch, Markov chain, and melodic emphasis remain intact, so the same dosha sounds different on each organism.

The Vata dosha preset is designed for symptoms of Vata imbalance: anxiety, restlessness, and insomnia. It forces the Bhupali major pentatonic scale (Sa Re Ga Pa Dha), which has a stable, grounding quality.

The effects are set to long reverb decay (8 seconds), low filter cutoff (800 Hz, removing bright overtones), and slow note rates. This creates a warm, enveloping soundscape that slows breathing and calms the nervous system — making it BioSonify's most popular preset for sleep music and anxiety relief.

The Pitta dosha preset addresses Pitta imbalance symptoms: irritability, anger, and inflammation. It uses the Yaman raga (Lydian mode: Sa Re Ga teevra-Ma Pa Dha Ni), known in Indian classical tradition for its cooling, soothing quality.

The raised fourth (teevra-Ma) gives Yaman a distinctive luminous character that is calming without being sleepy. Effects are set to moderate reverb (5s decay) and medium filter cutoff (1500 Hz). Pitta is ideal for cooling down after a stressful day or during hot weather meditation sessions.

The Kapha dosha preset counters Kapha imbalance symptoms: sluggishness, lethargy, and heaviness. It uses the Shivaranjani minor pentatonic scale (Sa Re komal-Ga Pa Dha), which has a stimulating, bittersweet quality.

Effects are set to short reverb (3 seconds), open filter cutoff (3000 Hz, allowing bright overtones through), and faster note rates. This creates an uplifting, energizing soundscape perfect for morning meditation, overcoming afternoon sluggishness, or pairing with active yoga practices.

BioSonify uses three ragas from the North Indian (Hindustani) classical tradition:

• Bhupali — major pentatonic (Sa Re Ga Pa Dha), selected for bright-character proteins and the Vata preset. Conveys serenity and stability.
• Shivaranjani — minor pentatonic (Sa Re komal-Ga Pa Dha), selected for neutral-to-dark proteins and the Kapha preset. Has a bittersweet, stimulating quality.
• Yaman — Lydian heptatonic (Sa Re Ga teevra-Ma Pa Dha Ni), used exclusively by the Pitta preset. Known for its luminous, cooling character.

Darkest organisms may also use Darbari Kanada (full seven-note scale) for deeply contemplative, nocturnal moods. All ragas follow Indian classical principles including Sa-Pa axis, vadi/samvadi emphasis, and descending melodic bias.

BioSonify uses the Web Audio API with Tone.js (v14.8.49) for real-time synthesis and WebAudioFont for sample-based instruments. All audio is generated in real-time on your device — nothing is pre-recorded.

The signal chain runs through a lowpass filter, delay (150ms), reverb (5s decay), compressor (-18dB threshold, 3:1 ratio), and limiter (-3dB) for clean, dynamic output. An EvolutionEngine running at 10fps slowly drifts filter cutoffs, trigger rates, and decay times to prevent the music from becoming static or repetitive.

Yes. BioSonify offers both audio recording (WebM format) and 1080p video recording (WebM with VP9+Opus, 8 Mbps bitrate suitable for YouTube upload). Click the REC button in the transport bar for audio, or the video REC button for full HD video with the sacred geometry visualizer.

Recordings download automatically when you stop. Timed sessions auto-stop recording and trigger download when the session completes — ideal for creating long meditation music content.

BioSonify layers six voice instruments for a sound bath-like texture:

1. Bass (Tanpura) — Synthesized drone with vowel morphing formant filter, range C2-C4
2. Drone (Angelic Choir) — Choir sample pad with Aahs/Oohs crossfade, range C2-C4
3. Texture (Sitar) — Sample-based sitar plucks, slow melodic phrases, range C3-C5
4. Arpeggio (Bansuri) — Bamboo flute playing raga-driven melodic patterns, range C4-C6
5. Shimmer (Bells/Marimba) — Sparse chime accents with switchable timbres, range C5-C7
6. Harp (Swarmandal) — Chord arpeggios on scale degrees 1, 3, and 5, range C3-C6

A VoiceCoordinator prevents note clashes (100ms window) and maintains a target density of 2-3 active voices with call-and-response dynamics.

BioSonify is a Progressive Web App (PWA), which means you can install it directly from your browser to your home screen — no app store required.

• iOS: Tap the Share button in Safari, then "Add to Home Screen"
• Android: Tap the browser menu and select "Install app" or "Add to Home Screen"

Once installed, BioSonify launches full-screen like a native app and works completely offline. The full synthesizer, all 20 organisms, and recording features are available.

Yes, BioSonify is excellent for sleep and deep relaxation. For best results:

1. Select a dark-character organism like Humpback Whale or Barn Owl
2. Enable the Vata dosha preset for maximum grounding
3. Lower the intensity slider
4. Start a timed session (2-3 hours)

The Vata preset's long reverb, low filter cutoff, and slow note rates create an enveloping deep sleep soundscape. The timed session gradually fades out voices for a smooth ending, and the breathing guide visualizer follows a 12-second pranayama cycle.

Yes. BioSonify generates continuous, non-repetitive ambient music that supports concentration without the distraction of lyrics or recognizable melodies. For study sessions:

• Choose a neutral-to-bright organism (Eucalyptus, Cherry Blossom, or Firefly work well)
• Keep the intensity slider at mid-range
• Use the timed session feature for structured focus blocks

The pentatonic scale constraint ensures perpetual consonance — no jarring intervals — while the EvolutionEngine prevents the habituation that makes looped study music lose effectiveness over time.

BioSonify is well-suited for yoga practice. The GlobalTimekeeper runs a 12-second breathing cycle (4.8s inhale, 1.2s hold, 4.8s exhale, 1.2s rest) that aligns with pranayama breathing patterns. The Ayurvedic dosha presets let you match the music to your practice:

• Vata for restorative or yin yoga
• Pitta for cooling sessions
• Kapha for energizing vinyasa

The sacred geometry visualizer with its breathing guide ring can serve as a visual drishti (focal point). Select a timed session and the app handles intro, sustained play, and smooth outro automatically.

BioSonify takes a fundamentally different approach. Binaural beats require specific stereo frequencies and headphones to produce an auditory illusion, with mixed scientific evidence for their claimed brainwave entrainment effects. 432 Hz tuning is based on numerological arguments without peer-reviewed support.

BioSonify's frequencies come from density functional theory computations of real amino acid vibrations (Buehler et al., MIT 2019) — the ratios are derived from physical chemistry, not arbitrary number choices. Rather than claiming specific brainwave effects, BioSonify creates genuinely meditative music through Indian classical raga theory, pentatonic consonance, and slow organic evolution. The science is in the source of the frequencies, not in pseudoscientific frequency healing claims.