Original title: Hemoglycin as a Candidate for Permanent Memory
Julie E. M. McGeoch, Malcolm W. McGeoch · September 2026
Scientists want to know if space-derived molecules can store long-lasting data inside living brains. Researchers studied hemoglycinA molecule made of glycine units that forms a lattice structure., a glycine polymer from molecular clouds tipped with iron and silicon that forms a grid-like lattice. Small electrical charges flow across this lattice using bridges made of magnesium or calcium ions. Because these ions sit around silicon corners in distinct patterns, they can store vast amounts of information. In space, electrical current from photons fades. However, if this material lands on habitable planets like Earth, brain cells might protect it. The team found that calcium binds more tightly than magnesium. Specifically, a low-energy setup with two magnesium-to-calcium swaps stabilizes long-term chemical changes. Cells could read stored memories by matching calcium patterns to complete an electrical path, while cell membranes could write data using sodium-calcium exchangers.
You are arranging colored magnets on a metal board to spell a message. Normally, if you bump the board, the magnets slide and the message is lost. But if each magnet snaps into a specific indentation, the message stays even when bumped. In this paper, the polymer lattice provides those indentations, and the magnesium and calcium ions are the magnets. The pattern of which ions occupy which indentations stores a permanent memory.
This work suggests that memories might be stored not just in synaptic connections but in a stable chemical lattice within brain cells. If true, it could explain how memories last a lifetime despite constant molecular turnover. It also opens the possibility of designing new memory systems based on similar principles.
The abstract presents a theoretical proposal without experimental evidence. It does not confirm that hemoglycin actually exists in neurons or that the proposed encoding mechanism works in living cells. The reading and writing processes are speculative and require further validation.
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Hemoglycin as a Candidate for Permanent Memory — Julie E. M. McGeoch, Malcolm W. McGeoch
Abstract licence: CC0
Explanation generated by Synthesis from the abstract — it is not the original paper. This is a preprint, so it hasn't necessarily been peer reviewed.