The plasma membrane as cellular nanobrain (senome)

The word nanobrain appears in the held texts before the senome concept. Craddock, Tuszynski and Hameroff (2012) report that three-dimensional assemblies of duroquinone molecules have been shown to work as molecular automata, which they call nanobrains¹. Lyon (2015) notes that E. coli and other flagellated bacteria carry large clusters of interacting sensory receptors, usually at the leading pole of the cell, and that some have dubbed these a nanobrain². Lyon calls the chemoreceptor cluster a tractable model of how signals from several sources are integrated into a behavioural response, yet still a monumental challenge³.

Baluška and Miller (2018) propose adding senomics to the study of cells. They place the senome above the epigenome and genome in the order of events: plasma membrane sensors respond within seconds, and changes to the cytoskeleton or epigenome come later⁴. They also argue that the senome is shaped by individual experience, so that genetic twins diverge in their senomes as their life histories accumulate⁵. Their concept includes memory held in the structured arrangement of molecules and passed through cell divisions or between generations.

Baluška, Miller and Reber (2021) name two nanobrains in the eukaryotic cell: the plasma membrane, and the complex of nuclear envelope, centrosome and microtubules. They trace both to two ancient cells that merged⁶. They say cells continuously rearrange their molecules according to sensory experience carried by senomic fields⁷. From this they propose that a senomic self gives unicellular organisms purposiveness, sentience and proto-consciousness⁸. Lyon's wording is more cautious.

Levin (2025) uses the term in a discussion of collective intelligence and morphogenesis. The held passages show the idea moving from a metaphor for molecular and receptor assemblies¹² to a claim about cellular self and consciousness⁸, and then into a framework for tissue-level cognition⁹.