  We discuss a novel approach to quantum information processing with molecules
based on molecular degrees of freedom which are isolated from the environment
as well as from the rest of the molecule. Such a degree of freedom can provide
long-term quantum storage even in a noisy environment, and provides an
independent protected quantum memory while quantum operations are performed
between the rest of the molecule and external systems. We present several
possibilities for realizing a quasi-hidden degree of freedom in a molecule, and
discuss a number of examples for using such a degree of freedom in practice.
Using quasi-hidden degrees of freedom could substantially improve the prospects
for a molecule-based quantum computer.
