Encinitas 2023 3_4 jack tuszynski 1080p

Neuroscience Needs a Revolution to Understand Consciousness
hosted by California Institute for Human Science and the
Center for Consciousness Studies, University of Arizona
August 18-20, 2023 Encinitas, California

On the biophysical properties of microtubules and their functional significance for neurons
Jack Tuszynski
DIMEAS, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy. University of Alberta, Department of Physics, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Categories by Discipline
4.0 Physical and Biological Sciences
Primary Topic Area - TSC Taxonomy
[04.08]........Quantum brain biology

Abstract
Microtubules (MTs) and their supramolecular constructs (centrioles, MT bundles of neurons, cilia, flagella, MT-mitochondria complexes, etc.) are critical to the function of all eukaryotic cells in cell division, intracellular transport, ion channel modulation, cell motility, and signal propagation. I will provide an overview of the many interesting biophysical and biochemical properties of microtubules focusing on their responses to electromagnetic fields. The building block of microtubules, the heterodimer of alpha and beta tubulin has been well characterized at an atomistic level. With the knowledge of the crystallographic structure of tubulin it has been possible to analyze its electrostatic properties, conductive properties in ionic solutions including transistor- and memristor-like behavior as well as sensitivity to electromagnetic fields. These electromagnetic properties of MTs and their constructs suggest their potential for electromagnetic energy transduction at a cellular level, including cell-cell communication. The role of long-range electromagnetic interactions involving MTs challenges the central dogma of molecular biology. Finally, I will briefly discuss the possibility of MTs supporting quantum excitations in neurons as a key aspect of human consciousness.

Видео Encinitas 2023 3_4 jack tuszynski 1080p канала The Science of Consciousness TSC Conferences