Prof.dr. H.J.M. de Groot (Huub) Faculty    Mathematics & Natural Sciences E-mail    h.groot@chem.leidenuniv.nl Phone    071 527 4507     Date of birth May 19, 1958 Place of birth Oegstgeest Study Physics Ph.D. May 22, 1986 Dissertation Non-linear excitations in magnetic systems Inaugural lecture April 23, 1999 Biophysical organic chemistry Subject Biophysical organic chemistry, solid state NMR investigations of membrane proteins and protein complexes

Keywords

Membrane proteins, artificial photosynthesis, G-protein coupled receptors, energyconversion in green plants, solid state NMR

My inspiration

“You have to live from what nature gives you”. What can we learn from nature, especially living nature, as seen by a physical scientist. There is still so much to discover! As a biophysical chemist I am involved in multidisciplinairy research into mechanisms of how membrane proteins work. Much is not yet known about these molecular machines in or on cell membranes. New research methods like magic angle spinning NMR in ultra high field, are technological growth areas. For my own research I am mainly interested in photosynthesis, how plants make energy available from light. When we are able to fully understand this, we might be able to make use of a new source of renewable energy, artificial photosynthesis.

Titles of major publications

• (2001) Michiel A. Verhoeven, Alain F.L. Creemers, Petra H.M. Bovee-Geurts, Willem J. de Grip, Johan Lugtenburg, Huub J.M. de Groot, "Ultra high field MAS NMR Assay of of a Multispin Labeled Ligand Bound to Its G-Protein Receptor Target in the Natural Membrane Environment: Electronic Structure of the Retinylidene in Rhodopsin", Biochemistry 40, 3282-3288.
• (2001) J. Pauli, M. Baldus, B. van Rossum, H.J.M. de Groot, H. Oschkinat, "Backbone and Side Chain 13C and 15N Resonance Assignments of the ƒÑ-Spectrin SH3 Domain by magic angle spinning Solid State NMR", Chembiochem, 2, 272-281, april.
• (2000) Matysik J, Alia, Gast P, van Gorkom HJ, Hoff AJ, de Groot HJM, "Photochemically Induced Nuclear Spin Polarization in Reaction Centers of Photosystem II Observed by 13C-Solid State NMR Reveals Asymmetric Electronic Structure of the P680+ Primary Donar Chlorophyll", Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 97, 9865-9870.
• (2000) Rossum BJ, de Groot C, de Groot HJM, Ladizhansky V, Vega S, "A Method for Measuring Hetronuclear (1H-13C) Distances in High Speed MAS NMR", J. Am. Chem. Soc. 122, 3465-3472.
• (1996) Buda F, de Groot HJM, Bifone A, "Charge localization dynamics in Rhodopsin", Phys Rev Lett 77, 4474-4477.

Links

http://www.ssnmr.leidenuniv.nl/