Magnetic isotope effects: a potential testing ground for quantum biology
Authors: Hadi Zadeh-Haghighi, Christoph Simon
Abstract
One possible explanation for magnetosensing in biology, such as avian magnetoreception, is based on the spin dynamics of certain chemical reactions that involve radical pairs. Radical pairs have been suggested to also play a role in anesthesia, hyperactivity, neurogenesis, circadian clock rhythm, microtubule assembly, etc. It thus seems critical to probe the credibility of such models. One way to do so is through isotope effects with different nuclear spins. Here we briefly review the papers involving spin-related isotope effects in biology. We suggest studying isotope effects can be an interesting avenue for quantum biology.
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The sensitivity of a radical pair compass magnetoreceptor can be significantly amplified by radical scavengersDaniel R. Kattnig, P. J. Hore · 2017 · Scientific Reports 7, Article number: 11640 (2017) · AI summary available
Abstract
Birds have a remarkable ability to obtain navigational information from the Earth's magnetic field. The primary detection mechanism of this compass sense is uncertain but appears to involve the quantum spin dynamics of radical pairs formed transiently in cryptochrome proteins. We propose here a new version of the current model in which spin-selective recombination of the radical pair is not essential. One of the two radicals is imagined to react with a paramagnetic scavenger via spin-selective electron transfer. By means of simulations of the spin dynamics of cryptochrome-inspired radical pairs, we show that the new scheme offers two clear and important benefits. The sensitivity to a 50 {\mu…
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Physical Principles of Quantum BiologyNathan S. Babcock, Brandy N. Babcock · 2025 · Biological Physics · AI summary available
Abstract
This technical monograph provides a comprehensive overview of the field of quantum biology. It approaches quantum biology from a physical perspective with core quantum mechanical concepts presented foremost to provide a theoretical foundation for the field. An extensive body of research is covered to clarify the significance of quantum biology as a scientific field, outlining the field's long-standing importance in the historical development of quantum theory. This lays the essential groundwork to enable further advances in nanomedicine and biotechnology. Written for academics, biological science researchers, physicists, biochemists, medical technologists, and students of quantum mechanics, …
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Optical polarization evolution and transmission in multi-Ranvier-node axonal myelin-sheath waveguidesEmily Frede, Hadi Zadeh-Haghighi, Christoph Simon · 2023 · Biological Physics · Not summarized yet
Abstract
In neuroscience, it is of interest to consider all possible modes of information transfer between neurons in order to fully understand processing in the brain. It has been suggested that photonic communication may be possible along axonal connections, especially through the myelin sheath as a waveguide, due to its high refractive index. There is already a good deal of theoretical and experimental evidence for light guidance in the myelin sheath; however, the question of how the polarization of light is transmitted remains largely unexplored. It is presently unclear whether polarization-encoded information could be preserved within the myelin sheath. We simulate guided mode propagation throug…
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A Single Differential Equation Description of Membrane Properties Underlying the Action Potential and the Axon Electric FieldRobert F. Melendy, Ph. D · 2018 · Journal of Electrical Bioimpedance Volume 9: Issue 1 (December 31, 2018) · AI summary available
Abstract
In a succession of articles published over 65 years ago, Sir Alan Lloyd Hodgkin and Sir Andrew Fielding Huxley established what now forms our physical understanding of excitation in nerve, and how the axon conducts the action potential. They uniquely quantified the movement of ions in the nerve cell during the action potential, and demonstrated that the action potential is the result of a depolarizing event across the cell membrane. They confirmed that a complete depolarization event is followed by an abrupt increase in voltage that propagates longitudinally along the axon, accompanied by considerable increases in membrane conductance. In an elegant theoretical framework, they rigorously des…
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Self-similar dynamics of bacterial chemotaxisWaipot Ngamsaad, Kannika Khompurngson · 2012 · Phys. Rev. E 86, 062901 (2012) · AI summary available
Abstract
Colonies of bacteria grown on thin agar plate exhibit fractal patterns as a result of adaptation to their environments. The bacterial colony pattern formation is regulated crucially by chemotaxis, the movement of cells along a chemical concentration gradient. Here, the dynamics of pattern formation in bacterial colony is investigated theoretically through a continuum model that considers chemotaxis. In the case of the gradient sensed by the bacterium is nearly uniform, the bacterial colony patterns are self-similar, which they look the same at every scale. The scaling law of the bacterial colony growth has been revealed explicitly. Chemotaxis biases the movement of bacterial population in co…
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Statistical physics of neural systems with non-additive dendritic couplingDavid Breuer, Marc Timme, Raoul-Martin Memmesheimer · 2015 · Phys Rev X, 2014, 4(1):011053 · Not summarized yet
Abstract
How neurons process their inputs crucially determines the dynamics of biological and artificial neural networks. In such neural and neural-like systems, synaptic input is typically considered to be merely transmitted linearly or sublinearly by the dendritic compartments. Yet, single-neuron experiments report pronounced supralinear dendritic summation of sufficiently synchronous and spatially close-by inputs. Here, we provide a statistical physics approach to study the impact of such non-additive dendritic processing on single neuron responses and the performance of associative memory tasks in artificial neural networks. First, we compute the effect of random input to a neuron incorporating n…
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The constructive role of diversity on the global response of coupled neuron systemsT. Perez, C. R. Mirasso, R. Toral et al. · 2010 · Biological Physics · Not summarized yet
Abstract
We study the effect that the heterogeneity present among the elements of an ensemble of coupled excitable neurons have on the collective response of the system to an external signal. We have considered two different interaction scenarios, one in which the neurons are diffusively coupled and another in which the neurons interact via pulse-like signals. We found that the type of interaction between the neurons has a crucial role in determining the response of the system to the external modulation. We develop a mean-field theory based on an order parameter expansion that quantitatively reproduces the numerical results in the case of diffusive coupling.
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Autofluorescence spectroscopy for determining cell confluencyDerrick Yong, Ahmad Amirul Abdul Rahim, Jesslyn Ong et al. · 2018 · Biological Physics · AI summary available
Abstract
Patient-specific therapies require that cells be manufactured in multiple batches of small volumes, making it a challenge for conventional modes of quality control. The added complexity of inherent variability (even within batches) necessitates constant monitoring to ensure comparable end products. Hence, it is critical that new non-destructive modalities of cell monitoring be developed. Here, we study, for the first time, the use of optical spectroscopy in the determination of cell confluency. We exploit the autofluorescence properties of molecules found natively within cells. By applying spectral decomposition on the acquired autofluorescence spectra, we are able to further discern the rel…
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