Ultraviolet Super Radiance from Mega Networks of Tryptophan in Biological Architectures

Introduction

• Dr. Nathan Babcock, theoretical physicist specializing in Quantum biology
• Talk on quantum effects in microtubule super radiance and sensory motor response
• Paper received significant attention: 20,000 views, ALT metric score of 175
• Coverage includes news articles, blogs, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, videos

Overview of Microtubules

• Microtubules: Structures in cells made of tubulin
  • Part of the cytoskeleton (along with actin and intermediate fibers)
  • Organized near cell nuclei
• Tryptophan: Amino acid crucial for microtubule structure
  • Organized in geometric networks with implications for fluorescence

Exons in Microtubules

• Microtubule Exons: Form due to reactive oxygen species (Ross)
  • Lead to ultra-weak photon emissions
  • Ross-induced exons propagate through microtubules
  • Significant for cell signaling

Study on Super Radiance

• Super Radiance: Collective light emission in fluorescent pigments
  • Delocalization of exciton across microtubules
  • Enhanced emission rate through collective interaction
  • Single emitter rate (γ), collective emitter rate (Γ)
• **Simulations:"
  • Single spiral of 13 tubulin dimers: order of magnitude enhancement
  • Lengthy tubes of 99 spirals: enhancement up to 600-fold
  • Larger structures like centrioles: enhancement up to 3,000-4,000-fold

Impact of Disorder

• Increased network size leads to robustness against disorder
• Significant enhancement at room/physiological temperatures

Experimental Work

• Fluorescence and absorption spectra of tryptophan networks
  • Changes in Stoke shift with increasing complexity (tryptophan to tubulin to microtubules)
  • Experimental results support numerical predictions

Implications

• Ultraviolet light and Ross impact microtubular structure and dynamics
• Microt growth Inhibitors are also tryptophan fluorescence quenchers
  • UV light and Ross: impact similar to microtubular sensor properties
• Microtubules as sensors for redox chemistry, light
  • Mode locking effect: ultra-fast laser pulses

Sensory Motor Integration

• Microtubules: Active sensor systems
  • Role in cell structure, division, motility, sensing
  • Light Harvest ERS and proprioceptive control
• Connection to super Radiance and Quantum Computing
  • Control of dissipative dynamics, creation of dark states
  • Potential for quantum information processing

Quantum Consciousness Research

• Challenges: Philosophy, not physics
• Ladder of Consciousness: Agency, Sentience, Wakefulness, Self-awareness
• Active Inference and Free Energy Principle:
  • Self-organizing systems reduce variational free energy
  • Generative models predict sensory causes, guide actions
  • Minimize gap between predicted and actual outcomes

Conclusion

• Microtubules integrate sensory motor features
  • Thermodynamic instability analogous to constant updating
  • Ideal model for cellular response
• Future research needed in super Radiance and cellular processing

Acknowledgements

• Quantum biology laboratory at Howard University
• Colleagues in Mexico, Italy, Switzerland
• Guy Foundation (sponsor)