Dr Lea Gassab gave us a fascinating dive into Quantum Effects in Microtubules this week, exploring how tiny quantum phenomena could play a role in biology. The spotlight was on tryptophan, an amino acid that lights up under UV at 280 nm. Its transition has the dipole moment which makes it a perfect candidate for studying excitations in microtubules.
The Wow factor here is when a tryptophan gets excited, the energy doesn’t just stay put. Because of dipole-dipole couplings, the excitation spreads across the microtubule, creating delocalized states. Depending on how these excitations align, you can get superradiant states (in-phase) or subradiant states (out-of-phase), which changes how energy moves and emits in the system.
Dr Gassab presented how PDB data helps to map the 3D positions and dipole orientations of tryptophans, Allowing us to calculate interactions with precision. While the current model focuses on UV-excitations at zero-temperature approximation, setting the stage for more realistic simulations that will include vibrations and dephasing et.c.
For more information, follow this link.
Stay tuned to Quantum@SUN for more deep dives into the quantum side of life
