Experimental confirmation of the Penrose/Hameroff brain quantum tubule theory?

An article (https://www.futureleap.org/2024/09/groun...vides.html) has now come out proclaiming that new research is actually experimentally partially confirming at least one prevalent interpretation of the well-known Penrose-Hameroff brain quantum tubule theory of consciousness. It's not clear whether the Penrose/Hameroff theory claims consciousness is literally generated by the quantum phenomena, or that consciousness is merely mediated by them.

From the short article:

While most researchers have adhered to classical physics models to explain brain activity, a growing minority believes consciousness may arise from quantum processes. Specifically, they suggest that collective quantum vibrations within microtubule proteins inside neurons may underpin conscious experience.
New experimental evidence from Wellesley College professor Mike Wiest and his undergraduate research team supports this view.
Their study focused on how anesthesia affects the brain, finding that administering a drug that binds to microtubules significantly delayed the onset of unconsciousness in rats exposed to anesthetic gases.
The interference of the microtubule-binding drug with the effects of anesthesia suggests that microtubules play a key role in mediating consciousness.

From the Abstract of the research paper referred to (at https://www.eneuro.org/content/11/8/ENEURO.0291-24.2024):

Anesthetic gases including isoflurane bind to cytoskeletal microtubules (MTs) and dampen their quantum optical effects, potentially contributing to causing unconsciousness. This possibility is supported by the finding that taxane chemotherapy consisting of MT-stabilizing drugs reduces the effectiveness of anesthesia during surgery in human cancer patients.
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Our results suggest that binding of the anesthetic gas isoflurane to MTs causes unconsciousness and loss of purposeful behavior in rats (and presumably humans and other animals). This finding is predicted by models that posit consciousness as a property of a quantum physical state of neural MTs.

Comment:
I have past had the opinion that the Penrose/Hameroff quantum tubule theory appears to violate the well-known Hard Problem of theory of mind, and therefore is almost certainly erroneous. Quantum mechanical interactions and phenomena are still measurable characteristics of our physical reality - they are still "things" not thoughts. That argument still seems valid to me, so it seems that there now is an impass in this conflict of ideas, at least if thje Penrose/Hameroff theory is a theory of actual generation of consciousness.

I thought this quote was interesting:

A quantum understanding of consciousness could transform our perception of the mind’s relationship to the universe. "This would connect us to the cosmos in a more holistic, integrated way," Wiest adds.

Listening to a lot of interviews with older Survival/Psi researchers and a theme that comes up is a hope in bringing great peace and unity.

Seeing someone who seems, at first glance, to be more mainstream STEM say something similar to Edward Kelly among others about the hope that an improved study of Consciousness may bring greater peace is intriguing.

Chomsky has remarked on a similar historical turn, that of Dualism and the idea of God giving souls to all humans and how this gave inspiration to the Abolition movement.

edit: Just to note I think the microtubules being a relevant quantum/magneto biological structure is the better part of Orch-OR, I think the idea that every consciousness moment of awareness is correlated by a collapse of the wave function is on shakier ground.