Introduction
I come from a behavioural science background, started working in manufacturing and becoming curious about materials. Along the way I found radiotrophic mushrooms, my first insight into how different compounds are used in nature and how they are used. Later when I worked in a semiconductor foundry (computer chip factory) I took this further going down something of a rabbit hole as you can see down the page. I developed an interest in the accumulation of materials and structures in relation to sensing and cognition in various species. Below two images show the concentration of myelin in a human infant's brain. The difference in speed of conduction between unmyelinated axons (0.5-10m/s) and myelinated axons (150 m/s) is pretty large.
Timeline of myelination in the human brain
Diagram of a myelinated axon in the brain
When the materials break down
The above shows the acquisition of myelin, which tracks with neuromelanin in the dopaminergic neurons of the Substantia Nigra. This concentration of materials coincides with the developmental phase at which children report gaining consciousness, understanding the concept of 'I', or realising they are me. As well as increase coordination. Conversely the loss of these materials in Parkinson’s disease is correlated with a loss of coordination and a loss of sense of self. Disintegration of the individual. There are other diseases that cause the loss of the brains other main information processing tissue, namely Multiple sclerosis (MS) which is the most common demyelinating disease of the central nervous system and comes with fatigue at best, and at worst severe cognitive impairments affecting coordination, mobility and bladder and bowel control.
Loss of magnetite containing dopaminergic neurons in the brain
Specific types
Magnetite is the most magnetic form of iron, and the type seen in the human brain is made specifically for the brain, differing in makeup to bacterial magnetite and exogenous magnetite that is taken into the brain from outside sources like pollution in the city. This ability of melanin to chelate metals to protect organisms is seen across the natural world. Some snakes living in toxic environments use it in their skin to bind metals, giving them darker spots and a propensity to shed their skin more often to rid themselves of metal and toxins. In the brain, the magnetosomes can be trapped but not expelled or processed according to the research.
Different types of magnetite seen in organisms and in the environment
Special Features
A further point of interest is that these magnetosomes are aligned in such a way that their magnetic moments are in alignment. Additionally, they have a coating which stops them from oxidising as iron does. So they are purpose made, and there are behavioural correlations with concentration, but there's still no agreement on their function. That is despite the best efforts of integrated information theory over the years.
A chain of biogenic magnetosomes
Magnetosomes surrounded by a membrane to prevent oxidation of the iron
Thinking Machines
Much of my insight was gained working in a semiconductor factory. Rather than normal electronic chips made from silicon, we used indium phosphide to make photonic chips. Chips that can generate light, for slightly different application, including quantum applications. It was learning the difference in materials that got me thinking more about the brain and other tissues for thinking, sensing and doing things in nature. Silicon is used in electronics because it’s a good conductor and an excellent insulator whose ability to move electrons around improves as it gets hotter, which it does during operation. It cannot generate light unless it's layered with another material, whereas indium phosphide does generate light. Where silicon has miniature electronic circuits, InP has miniature lasers on chip, allowing for brand new applications.
photonic chips on an undiced indium phosphide wafer
Subjects of study, courses and topics
Courses
Sciences
2022 - Introduction to Optics - MIT
2022: Quantum Detectors - Edx/Purdue
2020-2021 - Physiology - EdX
2020: Photonic Integrated Circuits 1 - MITx/Edx
2020: Active Optical Devices - Coursera
Others (Coursera)
Circadian clocks: how rhythms structure life Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) Grade Achieved: 88.63%
Dog Emotion and Cognition Duke University Grade Achieved: 95.86%
Understanding child development: from synapse to society Utrecht University Grade Achieved: 91.66%
Self-directed reading
Alongside the formal coursework, I spent a lot of the pandemic reading widely around biology, behavioural biomarkers and physics — magnetite biomineralisation, oxytocin signalling, circadian rhythms and photonics kept coming up as recurring threads. It was never a formal research programme, more a very broad personal interest, but it's what eventually pulled me toward biomaterials as something worth pursuing more seriously.