Curriculum Vitae

Vittal Yachandra

Education and Training

Ph.D. (Chemistry) Princeton University. (1977-82) Resonance Raman spectroscopy of iron-sulfur proteins and analogs and X-ray absorption studies of Zn and Co carbonic anhydrase.

M.S. (Chemistry) University of Chicago. (1975-77) Study of the interaction of suspected proximal carcinogens with DNA using fluorescence and EPR techniques.

M.Sc. (Chemistry) Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India. (1973-75)

B.Sc. (Chemistry) University of Madras, Loyola College, Madras, India. (1970-73)

Research and Professional Experience

2006-present Senior Scientist, Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley.

1991-06 Staff Scientist II/Staff Scientist, Structural Biology Division/Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley.

1985-91 Staff Scientist I, Chemical Biodynamics Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley.

1982-85 Postdoctoral Fellow, Chemical Biodynamics Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley.

Research Interests

Natural and Artificial Photosynthetic water oxidation - the structure and mechanism of the catalytic complex studied by biophysical techniques - X-ray absorption, electron paramagnetic resonance, and vibrational spectroscopy - with the goal of applying the principles learned from Nature to create/study bio-inspired systems in the quest to find clean, non-polluting energy sources.

Invited Talks and Professional Honors

Awards:

Recipient of the National Science Talent Scholarship, India, 1970-75.

Awarded the National Merit Scholarship, India, 1970 and 1973.

Selected Invited Talks:

DOE BER Panel on Applications of New DOE National User Facilities in Biology, May, 2011.

From Structures and Mechanism of Biological Enzymes to Biomass Production and Utilization, Renewable Energy Workshop. Umea, Sweden. Mar, 2010.

Department of Photochemistry and Molecular Science, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. Mar, 2010.

The Future of Ultrafast Soft X-ray Science, UXSL Center, LBNL. Dec, 2009.

238^th ACS National MeetingSymposium: The Physical Chemistry of Photon to Fuel Conversion, Washington, D.C. Aug, 2009.

Public Lecture, How Plants Do It: Lights, Oxygen, Action, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Stanford, CA. Aug, 2008.

Max-Planck Institute for Bioinorganic Chemistry, Mulheim, Germany, June, 2008.

SSRL Structural Molecular Biology Summer School, SSRL, Stanford, Sep, 2007.

3rd BioXAS Study Weekend, Metalloproteomics. Synchrotron-Soleil, Saint-Auburn, France. Aug, 2007

Royal Society Discussion Meeting, Revealing How Nature Uses Sunlight to Split Water, London, U.K. April 2007.

Spectroscopy Around Biological Crystallography Wokshop. European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France. Feb, 2007.

Gordon Research Conference, Metals in Biology, Ventura, CA. Jan 2007.

Princeton University, Department of Chemistry, Princeton, NJ. Nov, 2006

13th International Conference on X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS13), Plenary Speaker, Stanford, CA. July 2006.

Gordon Research Conference, Photosynthesis. Bryant College, RI. July 2006.

Structural Molecular Biology Summer School, SSRL, Stanford, CA. Sep, 2005.

229^th American Chemical Society National Meeting, San Diego, Mar, 2005.

Panel Discussion on Structure of Photosystem II and the Mn₄Ca Cluster, 14^th Western Photosynthesis Conference, Asilomar, Jan 2005.

SSRL Structural Molecular Biology Resource Site Visit of NIH and BER, Stanford, CA. Nov 2004.

Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory Users Meeting, Stanford, CA. Oct 2004.

13th International Congress on Photosynthesis, Montreal, Canada. Sep 2004.

Structure and Function of Photosystem II Session, Chair. Photosynthesis and Post-Genomic Era. Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada. Sep 2004.

Stanford-Berkeley Structural Molecular Biology Summer School, Stanford, CA. Aug, 2004.

Reaction Centers session, Chair. 13th Western Photosynthesis Conference, Asilomar, CA. Jan 2004.

Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ. Nov, 2003.

314th Heraeus Conference, Water Oxidation in Photosynthesis, Bad Honnef, Germany. Nov 2003.

Anorganische-Chemisches Institut, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Munster, Germany. Nov, 2003.

Inelastic X-ray Scattering and Advanced Spectroscopy Beamline at SPEAR3, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory Workshop, Stanford, CA. Oct 2003.

12th Western Photosynthesis Conference, Asilomar, CA. Jan 2003.

Biology Session, Chair. 29th Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory Users Meeting, Stanford, CA. Oct 2002.

Catalysis Workshop, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Stanford, CA. Oct 2002.

Soft X-ray Research Opportunities Using Beamline 9.3.1, Advanced Light Source, Berkeley, CA. Oct 2002.

Novartis Foundation, Discussion on Photosystem II. London, U.K. March 2002.

Royal Society meeting on Photosystem II: Molecular Structure and Function, London, U.K. March 2002.

Western Photosynthesis Conference, Asilomar, CA Jan 2002.

Seminar series, Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis. Oct 2001

The Nobel Committee for Chemistry and the ESF Programme for Biophysics and Photosynthesis. Höör, Sweden. Participated in: Water Oxidation – A Creative Discussion. Feb 1999.

Gordon Research Conference in Metals in Biology, Ventura, CA. Jan, 1999.

Department of Biochemistry Seminar/Tutorial Series in Physical Biochemistry Univ. of California, Riverside, CA. May 1998.

Symposium in Honor of Ken Sauer and Mel Klein. Berkeley, CA. Jan 1998.

Department of Chemistry Seminar Series, New York University, New York, NY. Oct 1997.

Gordon Research Conference, Photosynthesis: Biophysical Aspects. Plymouth State College, NH. Aug 1997.

ALS/CXRO Seminar Series. July 1996.

ICBIC 7, Seventh International Conference in Bioinorganic Conference. Lübeck, Germany. Sep. 1995.

US-Japan Binational Conference on Dynamic Aspects of Photochemical Reaction Centers. Tokyo, Japan. Jan 1995.

XAFS VIII, Eighth International Conference on XAFS, Berlin, Germany. Aug 1994.

Ninth International Photosynthesis Congress, Nagoya, Japan. Sep 1992.

XAFS VII, Seventh International Conference on X-ray Absorption Fine Structure. Kobe, Japan. Aug 1992.

Biophysical Society, Bioenergetics Subgroup, Houston, TX. Feb 1992.

Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory Users Conference, Stanford, CA, Oct 1991.

XAFS V, Fifth International Conference on X-ray Absorption Fine Structure, Seattle, WA. Aug 1988.

Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory Users Conference, Stanford, CA. Oct 1985.

Synergistic Activities

Member, LBNL Laboratory Staff Committee, 2007-

Proposal Review Panel, LCLS X-ray Laser Facility, SLAC, Stanford, 2009-.

Member, Site-visit Review Panel for the Photosynthesis Program at the Argonne National Laboratory, for Chemical Sciences, Geosciences and Biosciences of BES, DOE. (2004).

Organizing Committee, 13^th, Western Photosynthesis Conference, Asilomar, CA. (2004).

Responsible for the Bruker-EMX-500 X- and Q-band EPR spectrometer for the Department of Chemistry, UC Berkeley. Supervising and advising users from UC Berkeley and LBNL. 2002- .

Member of the Executive Committee of the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory Users Organization. (2000-02).

Organized, Symposium in Honor of Mel Klein and Ken Sauer, Berkeley, CA (1998).

Member, Beamline Review Committee, National Synchrotron Light Source, Brookhaven National Laboratory. Upton, NY (1990).

Member, American Chemical Society, International Society of Photosynthesis Research, International XAS Society.