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Berlin 2015 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 2: Neurophysics I

BP 2.8: Talk

Monday, March 16, 2015, 11:30–11:45, H 1058

Probing a quantum mechanical model of olfaction in insectsMarco Paoli1,2, Elisa Rigosi1,2, Gianfranco Anfora3, Giorgio Vallortigara1, Renzo Antolini1,4, and •Albrecht Haase1,41Center of Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy — 2BIOtech center, University of Trento, Trento, Italy — 3Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, S.Michelle all’Adige, Italy — 4Department of Physics, University of Trento, Trento, Italy

One of the first examples for a possible manifestation of quantum effects in biological systems is the vibration theory of olfaction. In contradiction to the widespread assumption that smell is a purely chemical sense, it proposes phonon assisted electron tunneling as the trigger mechanism for signal transduction. This would induce a sensitivity of olfactory receptors not only to molecular shape and binding properties, but also to the vibrational spectrum of the odorants. Here we present first in vivo functional imaging experiments in the honeybee brain showing evidence for the bees’ ability to distinguish isotopes by smell. A possible correlation of these results with the odorants’ vibrational spectra is discussed.

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