Sebastian Westenhoff

Researcher
Biochemistry

Phone: +46 (0)31 786 3936
E-mail: westenho@chem.gu.se
Visiting address: Lundberg laboratory, Medicinaregatan 9C

Research

The overall goal of my research is to uncover molecular structural dynamics. With this goal I use time-resolved X-ray scattering, which is a novel synchrotronand current projects are on membrane proteins and membrane fusion events. Recent highlights include the real-time observation of structural dynamics in two proton pumping proteins, proteorhodopsin and bacteriorhodopsin (Andersson et al ., Structure 2009).

Previously I have investigated the photophysics of organic semiconductors with Prof. R. Friend in Cambridge. My work is based on femtosecond optical spectroscopy of these novel materials, which are currently making its way into our daily life as active materials in displays and transistors. Highlights include the discovery of a novel decay channel in organic solar cells (Westenhoff et al, JACS, 2008 and Huang et al. Nature Materials, 2008), a novel technique to measure the morphology of organic solar cells (Westenhoff et al., Physical Review Letters, 2008), and the discovery of a previously neglected mode of structural relaxation (Westenhoff et al., Physical Review Letters, 2006). I have also developed computational models on excitation energy transfer in organic semiconductors during my PhD.

Please visit the following pages for more information about my research: http://www.csb.gu.se/westenhoff/