22 research outputs found
Tubulin in vitro, in vivo and in silico
Tubulin, microtubules and associated proteins were studied theoretically, computationally and experimentally in vitro and in vivo in order to elucidate the possible role these play in cellular information processing and storage. Use of the electric dipole moment of tubulin as the basis for binary switches (biobits) in nanofabricated circuits was explored with surface plasmon resonance, refractometry and dielectric spectroscopy. The effects of burdening the microtubular cytoskeleton of olfactory associative memory neurons with excess microtubule associated protein TAU in Drosophila fruitflies were determined. To investigate whether tubulin may be used as the substrate for quantum computation as a bioqubit, suggestions for experimental detection of quantum coherence and entanglement among tubulin electric dipole moment states were developed
Surface plasmon resonance study of the actin-myosin sarcomeric complex and tubulin dimers
Biosensors based on the principle of surface plasmon resonance (SPR)
detection were used to measure biomolecular interactions in sarcomeres and
changes of the dielectric constant of tubulin samples with varying
concentration. At SPR, photons of laser light efficiently excite surface
plasmons propagating along a metal (gold) film. This resonance manifests itself
as a sharp minimum in the reflection of the incident laser light and occurs at
a characteristic angle. The dependence of the SPR angle on the dielectric
permittivity of the sample medium adjacent to the gold film allows the
monitoring of molecular interactions at the surface. We present results of
measurements of cross-bridge attachment/detachment within intact mouse heart
muscle sarcomeres and measurements on bovine tubulin molecules pertinent to
cytoskeletal signal transduction models.Comment: Submitted to Journal of Modern Optics *Corresponding author: Andreas
Mershin ([email protected]
New Pedagogy for Using Internet-Based Teaching Tools in Physics Course
Acquiring the mathematical, conceptual, and problem-solving skills required
in university-level physics courses is hard work, and the average student often
lacks the knowledge and study skills they need to succeed in the introductory
courses. Here we propose a new pedagogical model and a straight-forwardly
reproducible set of internet-based testing tools. Our work to address some of
the most important student deficiencies is based on three fundamental
principles: balancing skill level and challenge, providing clear goals and
feedback at every stage, and allowing repetition without penalty. Our tools
include an Automated Mathematics Evaluation System (AMES), a Computerized
Homework Assignment Grading System (CHAGS), and a set of after-homework quizzes
and mini-practice exams (QUizzes Intended to Consolidate Knowledge, or QUICK).
We describe how these tools are incorporated into the course, and present some
preliminary results on their effectiveness.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, submitted to the Physics Teache
Quantum physics motivated neurobiology
Due to the character of the original source materials and the nature of batch digitization, quality control issues may be present in this document. Please report any quality issues you encounter to [email protected], referencing the URI of the item.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 48-51).Issued also on microfiche from Lange Micrographics.This research addresses the question of what role might quantum phenomena play in the brain. Recent progress in understanding brain function in terms of its basic cellular and subcellular (microtubules) components will be discussed. A preliminary model for the way memory operates will be presented. The engram i.e. the functional and structural change in the brain representing an enduring memory trace will be identified at the molecular level. Experimental work on Drosophila will be presented, where we seek to directly identify structural changes in the fly brain as a result of memory encoding. Our new model is a result of an orchestrated effort, a collaboration between neurobiology and quantum physics at both the theoretical and experimental levels
Molecular vibration-sensing component in Drosophila melanogaster olfaction
A common explanation of molecular recognition by the olfactory system posits that receptors recognize the structure or shape of the odorant molecule. We performed a rigorous test of shape recognition by replacing hydrogen with deuterium in odorants and asking whether Drosophila melanogaster can distinguish these identically shaped isotopes. We report that flies not only differentiate between isotopic odorants, but can be conditioned to selectively avoid the common or the deuterated isotope. Furthermore, flies trained to discriminate against the normal or deuterated isotopes of a compound, selectively avoid the corresponding isotope of a different odorant. Finally, flies trained to avoid a deuterated compound exhibit selective aversion to an unrelated molecule with a vibrational mode in the energy range of the carbon–deuterium stretch. These findings are inconsistent with a shape-only model for smell, and instead support the existence of a molecular vibration-sensing component to olfactory reception