Consilient mechanisms useful function

It may be noted that present calculations of protein structure and function neglect the presence of so much internal water. In calculations, a quantity called the dielectric constant, required in electrostatic calculations of the energy of interaction between charges, is utilized. The value of the dielectric constant of bulk water is about 80, and commonly the assumption is made that the value shifts at the surface of the protein from 80 to 5 or less within the protein. The presence of the waters of Thales raises concern about such assumptions. Similarly, in Chapter 5, particularly in Figure 5.30, the experimental values could only be approximated by electrostatic calculations when a value of 5 or less was used, whereas direct measurement of the dielectric constant for the model protein system required that the value within the model protein motor be no less than 65. These points provide substantial support for the consilient mechanism. 

Clearly, it would seem not unreasonable to propose the consilient mechanism as the dominant mechanism in protein structure formation and function. The comprehensive hydrophobic effect should be the foundation from which to engineer protein materials for medical and nonmedical uses. 

In general, then, the energy conversions of biology reduce to the production of ATP and the uses of ATP, that is, the production of ATP by the five protein-based machines of the inner mitochondrial membrane and the thousands of subsequent protein-based machines that do the necessary work of the cell. This constitutes yet an enormous task that will fill hundreds of volumes in the future of protein-based machines. The intention of this volume, however, is to add a simplifying feature of a common groundwork of explanation for each of the hydrophobic and elastic consilient mechanisms. For the function of protein-based machines of biology, this perspective recovers an attractive element of simplification. 

The word consilient is used as the adjective form of the noun consilience. As listed in Webster s Third New International Dictionary, consihence contains the sense that there exist pervasive, fundamental laws of nature underlying related disciplines, which provide a common groundwork of understanding. Here we refer to the consilient mechanism as a water dependent, pervasive, fundamental process by which the macromolecules of living organisms function and evolve. The term originates from Wilham Whewell in The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences, London, 1840. 

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