Thomas Schmidt

Professor for Physics of Life Processes

Leiden Institute of Physics
Leiden University
Niels Bohrweg 2
2333 CA Leiden, The Netherlands
Tel: (+31) 71 527 5982
Fax: (+31) 71 527 5404
email: schmidt@physics.leidenuniv.nl

public key

Research Inaugural lecture

Family

Interests

The way how cells can reliably and fast react on the outside world is a fascinating puzzle which drives research in my group. Most of the communication of the cell with its environment is taking place at the cellular membrane. By novel technological tools developed in my group together with theoretical modeling we try to shed a bit of light into so-far unexplored fields of biological research.

The particular interest is focused on the study of dynamical processes in proteins, and - on the larger scale - the nanometric organization of the cell membrane. As those dynamical entities change structure and location on a timescale of several milliseconds, optical fluorescence microscopy and scanning-probe microscopy methods are particularly suited to follow the motion in real-time. Predominantly, I develop and utilize single-molecule fluorescence microscopy and atomic-force microscopy in my research.

Although being trained as a physicist my ambitions are entirely driven by questions which have an immediate relevance to biology and medical sciences.

More details on my research you find on my group's webpage.

Education

1985: MSc ('Diplom') in Physics with a thesis on "High-Resolution Optical Spectroscopy of NO₂^- Impurities in Alkali-Halide Single Crystals", University of Düsseldorf. Advisor: Prof. Dr. D. Schmid.
1987: Ph.D. degree with a thesis on "Spectroscopic Investigations of Energy- Transfer in NaNO₂:KNO₂", University of Düsseldorf, Germany. Advisor: Prof. Dr. D. Schmid.
1988-1993: Post-doctoral fellow at the University of Leiden, The Netherlands, Center for the Study of the Excited States of Molecules, with Prof. Dr. S. Völker and Prof. Dr. J.H. van der Waals.
1993-1996: Post-doctoral fellow at the University of Linz, Austria, Institute for Biophysics with Prof. Dr. H. Schindler.
1996: Venia Legendi in Experimental Physics with a thesis on "Single Molecule Microscopy and Hole-Burning Spectroscopy: Tools for the Study of Biological Membranes", University of Linz, Austria.
1996-1997: Assistant professor at the University of Linz, Austria, Institute for Biophysics.
1997-1999: Associate professor at the University of Linz, Austria, Institute for Biophysics.
since 1999: Full professor for Physics of Life Processes, Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University

Selected Publications (a bit of each)

the beginning: low-temperature spectroscopy on corning salt
T.Schmidt, J.Köhler, C.Kryschi and D.Schmid
Phys.Stat.Sol.(b) 147 (1988) 797.
"Sensitized Luminescence of Pure and Doped NaNO₂ Single Crystals. III. Excitation Spectroscopy and Time-Resolved Trap Fluorescence"
my first experience with biosystems: antennas in photosynthesis
H. van der Laan, T.Schmidt, R.W.Visschers, K.J.Visscher, R. van Grondelle and S.Völker
Chem.Phys.Lett. 170 (1990) 231.
"Energy Transfer in the B800-850 Antenna Complex of Purple Bacteria Rhodobacter Sphaeroides. A Study by Spectral Hole-Burning"
nice intermezzo: solid-state physicists understood what we were doing
T. Schmidt, J. Baak, H. Brom and S. Völker
Phys.Rev.Lett. 71 (1993) 3031.
"Temperature Dependence of Optical Linewidths and Specific Heat of Rare- Earth-Doped Silicate Glasses"
the final switch: now - and for good - we get to real biophysics
T. Schmidt, G.J. Schütz, W. Baumgartner H.J. Gruber and H. Schindler
Proc.Natl.Acad.Sci. USA 93 (1996) 2926.
"Imaging of Single Molecule Diffusion"
... and cellular biology
P.H.M. Lommerse, B.E. Snaar-Jagalska, H.P. Spaink and T. Schmidt
Journal of Cell Science 118 (2005) 1799.
"Single-Molecule Diffusion Measurements of H_Ras at the Plasma Membrane of Live Cells Reveal Microdomain Localization Upon Activation".
Thomas Schmidt
Inaugural lecture held at Leiden University on March 31, 2001.
"Watching and Feeling Proteins at Work"
Thomas Schmidt
Habilitationsschrift, University of Linz, Austria (1995).
"Single-Molecule Microscopy and Hole-Burning Spectroscopy: Tools for the Study of Biological Membranes"
Thomas Schmidt
Dissertation, University of Düsseldorf, Germany (1987).
"Spektroskopische Untersuchungen des Energietransfers im System NaNO₂:KNO₂"
Thomas Schmidt
Diploma thesis, University of Düsseldorf, Germany (1985).
"High-Resolution Optical Spectroscopy of NO₂^- Impurities in Alkali-Halide Single Crystals"

Publications not found on the SchmidtLab website

You might want to try a search on the Web of Science, Google Scholar or from ResearcherID .

AU=(Schmidt T) AND AD=(D?sseldorf OR Linz OR Leiden) AND DocType=(Article OR Letter OR Review) AND Database=(SCI-EXPANDED)

[1]	H.Pufahl, J.Köhler, T.Schmidt, D.Schmid and V.M.Kenkre, Phys.Stat.Sol.(b) 141 (1987) 303. "Sensitized Luminescence of Pure and Doped NaNO₂ Single Crystals. II. Time-Resolved Experiments and Preliminary Analysis.
[2]	T.Schmidt, J.Köhler, C.Kryschi and D.Schmid, Phys.Stat.Sol.(b) 147 (1988) 797. Sensitized Luminescence of Pure and Doped NaNO₂ Single Crystals. III. Excitation Spectroscopy and Time-Resolved Trap Fluorescence.
[3]	J.Köhler, T.Schmidt and D.Schmid, J.Mol.Struct. 219 (1990) 37. The Influence of Exciton-Dispersion on the Lineshape of NaNO₂ Fluorescence.
[4]	P.J. van der Zaag, B.C.Schokker, T.Schmidt, R.M.Macfarlane and S.Völker, J.Luminescence 45 (1990) 80. Dynamics of Glasses Doped with Rare-Earth Ions: A Study by Permanent and Transient Hole-Burning.
[5]	P.J. van der Zaag, T.Schmidt, H. van der Laan, A.Visser and S.Völker, Mol.Cryst.&Liq.Cryst. 183 (1990) 105. Photoreactive Disordered Systems Studied by Permanent and Transient Hole-Burning.
[6]	H. van der Laan, T.Schmidt, R.W.Visschers, K.J.Visscher, R. van Grondelle and S.Völker, Chem.Phys.Lett. 170 (1990) 231. Energy Transfer in the B800-850 Antenna Complex of Purple Bacteria Rhodobacter Sphaeroides. A Study by Spectral Hole-Burning.
[7]	J.Köhler, M.Ashida, R.Kato, T.Schmidt and D.Schmid, J.Luminescence 47 (1991) 239. Slow Thermalization of Singlet Excitons in NaNO₂ Crystals.
[8]	H. van der Laan, T.Schmidt and S.Völker, J.Luminescence 48&49 (1991) 199. Energy Transfer and Dynamics of Photosynthetic Antenna Complexes and Biological Model Systems: A Study by Photochemical Hole-Burning.
[9]	P.J. van der zaag, B.C. Schokker, T. Schmidt & S. Völker, Rad. Eff. & Defects in Solids 119 (1991) 361. Spectral Hole-Burning on Inorganic Glasses Doped with the Rare-Earth Ions Pr³⁺ and Eu³⁺.
[10]	H. van der Laan, H.E.Smorenburg, T.Schmidt and S.Völker, J.Opt.Soc.Am.B 9 (1992) 931. Permanent Hole-Burning with a Diode-Laser. Excited State Dynamics of Bacteriochlorophyll in Glasses and Micelles.
[11]	H. van der Laan, H.Smorenburg, R. Wannemacher, T.Schmidt and S.Völker, J.Luminescence 53 (1992) 266. "Transient Hole-Burning on Microsecond Time-Scales Studied using a Diode-Laser.
[12]	H. van der Laan, C. DeCaro, T. Schmidt, R.W. Visschers, R. van Grondelle, G.J.S. Fowler, C.N. Hunter and S.Völker, Chem.Phys.Lett. 212 (1993) 569. Excited-State Dynamics of Mutated Antenna Complexes of Purple Bacteria Studied by Hole-Burning.
[13]	T. Schmidt, J. Baak, H. Brom and S. Völker, Phys. Rev. Lett. 71 (1993) 3031. Temperature Dependence of Optical Linewidths and Specific Heat of Rare-Earth-Doped Silicate Glasses.
[14]	T. Schmidt, J. Baak, D.A. Baak, H. Brom and S. Völker, J.Luminescence 58 (1994) 180. Temperature Dependence of Optical Linewidths and Specific Heat of Rare-Earth-Doped Silicate Glasses.
[15]	T. Schmidt, Macfarlane and S.Völker, Phys.Rev.B 50 (1994) 15707. Persistent and Transient Spectral Hole-Burning in Pr³⁺- and Eu³⁺-Doped Silicate Glasses.
[16]	D.A. Baak, H. Brom, T. Schmidt and S. Völker, Phys.Rev.B. 53 (1996) 2179. The Low-Temperature Specific Heat of Rare-Earth-Doped Silicate Glasses.

Prof Dr Thomas Schmidt, Physics of Life Processes, Leiden University, Biophysics