Abstract

Weak magnetic fields and magnetic isotopes can alter biological function, even though their interaction energies are far below the thermal noise limit, a challenge for classical biochemical explanations. Quantum biology offers an alternative framework, particularly through spin-dependent reaction pathways such as the radical pair mechanism. This talk will begin with an overview of weak field and isotope effects in biology and an introduction to the principles of quantum biology. Dr. Craddock will present theoretical proposals and experimental evidence for quantum spin dynamics as a regulator of biomolecular processes, focusing on microtubules, dynamic cytoskeletal polymers that shape neuronal structure and plasticity, drive intracellular transport, and contribute to chromatin organization and genome stability. The findings, consistent with a radical pair mechanism driven by the nuclear spin of ²⁵Mg, establish a direct link between quantum spin dynamics and cytoskeletal function. The presentation will conclude by exploring how this spin-sensitive chemistry could extend to other magnesium-dependent processes, including DNA replication and repair, epigenetic remodeling, and mitochondrial bioenergetics. Such mechanisms may offer new biophysical strategies to modulate chromatin dynamics and maintain cellular homeostasis, with potential applications in precision diagnostics and targeted therapies for neurodegeneration, cancer, and infectious disease.

About Travis Craddock

Travis J.A. Craddock, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Waterloo and the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Quantum Neurobiology. His current research combines quantum physics, biophysics, and neuroscience to investigate quantum processes in neuronal cytoskeletal proteins, with the goal of developing novel diagnostics and therapeutics for neuroinflammatory illnesses. He earned his B.Sc. in Physics from the University of Guelph and his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Alberta, where his graduate work focused on sub-neural biomolecular information processing and nanoscale neuroscience models of memory, consciousness, and cognitive dysfunction in neurodegenerative disorders.

Prior to joining Waterloo in May 2024, Dr. Craddock was an Associate Professor of Neuroscience at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he served as Director of Clinical Systems Biology at the Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine (INIM). At INIM, he led interdisciplinary teams integrating computational modeling, systems biology, and clinical data to uncover molecular mechanisms and treatment targets for complex chronic neuroinflammatory illnesses such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), Gulf War Illness, and Parkinson’s disease.

Sponsored by the Center for Physical Genomics and Engineering, the Cancer and Physical Sciences Program at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, and NIH Grants T32GM142604 and U54CA268084

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