Optical Spectroscopy in Chemistry and Life Sciences: An Introduction

Werner Schmidt studied physics and biology at the universities of Berlin and Freiburg. After his PhD in biophysics he carried out his postdoc under Prof. W. L. Butler at UCSD, San Diego and Prof. K. Poff, at East Lansing, Michigan, USA. He gained his lecturing qualification in 1983 and became Professor of Biophysics at the University of Constance, Germany in 1996. Professor Schmidt is currently working on the sensory physiology of plants and microorganisms, particularly on responses to light and gravity and the corresponding primary molecular reactions. These investigations necessarily require the study of membrane properties and reactions, as well as the development of novel and highly sensitive opto procedures and apparatuses, activities which have resulted in patents and industrial cooperation.