M. Milani

A quantum field theoretical approach to the collective behaviour of biological systems

Abstract An analysis at the level of molecular excitations is proposed for describing the biological system collective dynamics. In the resulting quantum field theory scheme the system is considered to oscillate between two different regimes: one characterized by a localized Bose condensation of quanta, the other one by an extended homogeneous condensation with a long-range correlation. The transition between these regimes is seen as the transition between different vacua. Dissipativity, which is typical of the biological systems, is shown to be the macroscopic manifestation of a microscopic invariance law.

Magnetic flux quantization and Josephson behaviour in living systems

The proposal of coherent electromagnetic processes as the engine for biological dynamics suggests that Josephson effects could be present in living cells. Positive experimental evidence is reported and discussed.

Coherent Quantum Electrodynamics in Living Matter

Living systems cannot be thermal systems, but instead are coherent systems. The dynamic origin of coherence is discussed in the case of electromagnetically coupled particles. Permanent nonvanishing electromagnetic fields are shown to be present but trapped in the coherent systems. The dynamics of enzymes is sketched as an outcome of the coherent electromagnetic structure of living matter. The emergence of bound water is analyzed. Circulation of ions is shown to be driven by the Josephson effect. Ion cyclotron resonance briefly is discussed.

A Collective Dynamics in Metabolically Active Cells

A model to explain the Raman spectra of metabolically active cells is proposed. A tight interplay between coherent electric vibrations and vibrational solitons is shown to provide a qualitative understanding of the main spectral features.

SPONTANEOUS SYMMETRY BREAKDOWN AND BOSON CONDENSATION IN BIOLOGY

Abstract Electric polarization waves predicted by Frolich in living cells are identified as the Goldstone massless modes which appear as a consequence of the spontaneous breakdown of the SU(2) dipole-rotational symmetry. This breaking is provided by the water polarization induced by Davydov solitons travelling on molecular chains.

Self-focusing and Ponderomotive Forces of Coherent Electric Waves: A Mechanism for Cytoskeleton Formation and Dynamics

Coherent electric waves have been predicted to exist in biological systems.(1) We try to link the consequences of their propagation in the cell medium to some peculiar features of cell architecture and organization such as cytoskeleton formation and dynamics.(2) This will give a consistency argument m favour of the existence of coherent electric waves m living systems.(3)

Nonlinear properties of coherent electric vibrations in living cells

Abstract It is shown that the coherent electric longitudinal vibrations predicted by Frohlich and experimentally detected by Webb in living cells actually obey nonlinear optical laws. These vibrations might form a network of filaments inside cells.

Collective Properties of Biological Systems

We present a dynamical scheme for biological systems. We use methods and techniques of quantum field theory since our analysis is at a microscopic molecular level. Davydov solitons on biomolecular chains and coherent electric dipole waves are described as collective dynamical modes. Electric polarization waves predicted by Frohlich are identified with the Goldstone massless modes of the theory with spontaneous breakdown of the dipole-rotational symmetry. Self-organization, dissipativity, and stability of biological systems appear as observable manifestations of the microscopic quantum dynamics.

Non-constant order parameter and vacuum evolution

Abstract A least action formalism for phase transitions is proposed, by taking advantage of the existence of unitarily inequivalent representations of the canonical commutation relations in quantum field theory. Evolution of the system is described in terms of trajectories in the space of these representations.

Order and Structures in Living Systems

Biological systems are characterized by structure and dynamical ordering. Molecular biologists have gone a long way towards understanding structure. Research into dynamics is in progress. The aim is to elucidate how the large number of molecules in a cell can arrange themselves in ordered and meaningful patterns, avoiding mistakes and the kind of disordered behavior which produces heating. Actually the constance of temperature during the biological life cycle can be considered as a rough principle of biology. This means from a physical point of view that the energy released from metabolic reactions supplies collective degrees of freedom without any thermal losses, i.e. without increasing the system temperature.