  Quantum resource theory formulations of thermodynamics offer a versatile tool
for the study of fundamental limitations to the efficiency of physical
processes, independently of the microscopic details governing their dynamics.
Despite the ubiquitous presence of non-Markovian dynamics in open quantum
systems at the nanoscale, rigorous proofs of their beneficial effects on the
efficiency of quantum dynamical processes at the bio-molecular level have not
been reported yet. Here we combine the resource theory of athermality with
concepts from the theory of divisibility classes for quantum channels, to prove
that memory effects can increase the efficiency of photoisomerization to levels
that are not achievable under a purely thermal Markovian (i.e. memoryless)
evolution. This provides rigorous evidence that memory effects can provide a
resource in biological quantum dynamics, and, more generally, quantum
thermodynamics at the nanoscale.
