Anjali Pandit
Assistant professor
- Name
- Dr. A. Pandit
- Telephone
- +31 71 527 4198
- a.pandit@chem.leidenuniv.nl
- ORCID iD
- 0000-0002-1027-1061
In photosynthesis, sunlight is converted into the biochemical energy needed to power life and drive cellular processes. Anjali Pandit combines advanced spectroscopy and biochemical approaches to understand the structural mechanisms that regulate photosynthesis in atomic detail.
More information about Anjali Pandit
PhD candidates
News
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Real-time solid-state NMR spectroscopy inside living cells -
How do plants protect themselves against too much sunlight? -
17.9 million euro for national NMR Roadmap consortium -
2.8 million euros for photosynthesis research -
Science Groot funding for Leiden scientists -
A close view of a light-stress sensor in photosynthesis -
Research Grant for tuning into photosynthesis
Biography
Dr. Anjali Pandit holds a MsC degree in Experimental Physics (UvA) and a PhD in Biophysics (VU Amsterdam, advisors Profs. van Grondelle and Kraayenhof) on photosynthetic proteins and bioactive peptides. After her PhD, she spent a 2-yr postdoc at CEA-Saclay, France supported by ESF and NWO-TALENT stipend. She returned to the Netherlands with an NWO VENI personal fellowship. After her VENI, she considered positions outside academia and accepted a position as researcher and programme manager of the European network HARVEST (15 research groups, 23 fellows, 4.9 MEuro). Here she was responsible for daily management, midterm review reporting and coordination with EU programme officers and finance administrators. While enjoying the responsibilities, she missed in those direct involvement in science, stimulating her to also remain active as a researcher and establish scientific collaborations within the network. To pursue a scientific career, she successfully applied for a prestigious NWO VIDI research grant that she got awarded in 2013. Since end 2013, she holds a PI position at the Leiden Institute of Chemistry (LIC).
The Pandit group aims to understand molecular mechanisms in natural photosynthesis and use those as inspiration for artificial photosynthesis. They combine MAS NMR, optical spectroscopy and tailored membrane models to study protein switches involved in photo regulation and the role of thylakoid membrane structural dynamics. Another interest is design and characterisation of artificial metalloproteins for solar energy conversion.
Anjali is recipient of competitive personal career grants for scientific excellence (TALENT, VENI, VIDI) from the Dutch Organization of Scientific Research (NWO). The Leiden NMR groups are part of the Dutch Roadmap consortium uNMR-NL. As a teacher, she developed and presents the yearly MSc course Photosynthesis & Bio Energy for Chemistry and LST and she coordinates and teaches Photon Power for the BSc adv. minor Sustainable Chemistry & Biotechnology. She has been an invited board member and expert reviewer for various grant scheme organisations, including ERC Consolidator, German Research Foundation, British Research Council and NWO. Further, she has taken place in organising committees of >10 (inter)national meetings and workshops in her field and she was scientific chair of the International Light-Harvesting Satellite Conference in 2016. Local institutional responsibilities include heading the NMR Advisory Committee for the Leiden NMR facilities.
Curriculum Vitae
Current and previous research positions
2019 – now Assistant professor, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, NL
2013 – 2019 Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, NL
2010 – 2013 Researcher, Dept. of Biophysics, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, NL
2006 – 2009 Post-doctoral researcher (Veni), Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, NL
2003 – 2005 Post-doctoral researcher (TALENT stipend), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA) Saclay in collaboration with Ipsen Pharma Inc.
Education
2003 PhD, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, NL
Thesis title: ‘Folding and Oligomerization of Membrane Proteins’
Advisors: Prof. R. van Grondelle and Prof. R. Kraayenhof
1996 MSc in Physics, Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, NL
Grants, awards, recognitions
2022 NWO-ENW XS (k€ 50)
2020 uNMR-NL Roadmap (co-applicant, ~1.6 M€ for Leiden high-field NMR spectrometers)
2020 NWO-Groot ‘Nanoscale regulators in photosynthesis’ (2,8 M€, share: ~0,4 M€)
2016 FOM Projectruimte Grant (k€ 400)
2013 NWO-CW VIDI Grant (k€ 800)
2006 NWO-CW VENI personal grant (k€ 200)
2003 NWO TALENT stipend (k€ 24 for 1 yr postdoc at CEA)
2003 ESF fellowship (k€ 3 for 3 month research project at CEA Saclay, France)
2002 NWO PhD travel grant (1.5 k€, for 1 month PhD research project in USA)
Contribution to teaching and supervision
Present
- Coordinator and co-teacher of BSc course Photon Power for the adv. Minor Sustainable Chemistry & Biotechnology, Leiden/Delft University
- Teacher MSc course Photosynthesis & Bio Energy (Chemistry and LST, Leiden University)
- Mentor and examiner MSc educational programmes LST and Chemistry, Leiden University
Past
- Member Educational Committees BSc MST and MSc LST Leiden/Delft
- 2019-2020 Teacher BSc Algemene en Anorganische Chemie for MST, Leiden/Delft University
- 2015 Co-organiser (with Marc Koper) and lecturer of the International Summer School Artificial Photosynthesis (3rd year bachelor)
- 2014-2018 Lecturer Pre-university course “Chemie van de Fotosynthese”
- 2015 guest Lecture NMR spectroscopy, 1st year Nanobiology, Delft University
- 2012 Teacher and coordinator EU course on Grant Writing and EU course Spectroscopy for HARVEST young investigators
Supervision
(Co-)supervision of 10 PhD students and 2 postdocs in present and past, of whom 6 financed from personal grants. Three of the former postdocs and PhDs now hold research positions as assistant professor/PI, while others occupy postdoc positions or found jobs in industry. Supervision of >20 BSc and MSc students in LST, MST, Chemistry and Biology and MSc Erasmus programmes.
Teaching, supervision, and leadership courses
- Basis Kwalificatie Onderwijs (BKO) 2018
- Acquisition & Earning Power (Aletta Wubben coaching) 2017
- Situational Leadership (Aletta Wubben coaching) 2016
- Personal Effectiveness (Aletta Wubben coaching) 2015
- ICLON training Course Design 2015
Other responsibilities
- Chair Leiden NMR Consultation Committee 2022-present
- Editorial Board member of Nature Scientific Reports 2017-2021
- Programme Committee DutchBioPhysics (> 200 participants), Veldhoven in 2019 and 2020
- Guest editor for Springer journal Photosynthesis Research on the Special Issue “Photosynthetic Light Harvesting” in 2018
- Chair International Satellite meeting Photosynthetic Light Harvesting (120 participants) in 2016
- Co-organiser NextGenChem, Leiden in 2015
- Member review panel Open Competition Earth and Life Sciences, NWO
- Member Leiden NMR Advisory Committee 2014-2022
- Member Habilitation (HDR) rapporteur, CEA-Saclay, France (2021)
- Participant (invited) of brainstorm “WP Klimaatstop” (organiser Aletta Wubben coaching with participating scientists from Leiden and Delft University) 2016
- Co-organiser Conference “From Science to Industry”, Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands (~200 participants) 2013
- Co-organiser of EU workshops and conferences (60-120 participants) in Sweden (Umea), Germany (Passau), UK (Cambridge), Finland (Naantali), and Italy (Venice) between 2010-2013
- Invited Expert grant Reviewer for (amongst others) ERC Consolidator; British Research Counsil BRC; German Research Foundation DFG; Austrian Research Foundation; Norwegian Research Foundation and NWO
- Reviewer for international journals including Angewandte Chemie, Nature Plants, Nature Comm., J. Phys. Chem. Lett, BBA Bioenergetics, FEBS Letters, J. of Biol. Chem, Scientific Reports, Biochemistry
- Co-editor of the White Paper “Solar Energy for the Production of Clean Fuel” which formed the basis of the ESF Policy Briefing (2008) and a preliminary route to the Dutch research programme BioSolar Cells (2012-2017, 42 M€)
- Participant and co-editor Priority Research Directions of the invited BrainstormWorkshop "The Future of Solar Energy Conversion", Regensburg, Germany (2006)
Publication record including five recent representative publications
Full publication record: Leiden University
- F. Nami, M. Joao Ferraz, Th. Bakkum, J.M.F.G. Aerts, A. Pandit, Real-time NMR recording of fermentation and lipid metabolism processes in live microalgae cells (2022) Angewandte Chemie, 61 (14), e202117521 Editor selection: Hot Paper in NMR spectroscopy DOI: 10.1002/anie.202117521
- A. Pandit, Structural dynamics of light harvesting proteins, photosynthetic membranes, and cells observed by spectral editing solid-state NMR (2022) J. Chem. Phys. 157 (2), 025101, DOI: 10.1063/5.0094446
- M. Krishnan-Schmieden, P.E. Konold, J.T.M. Kennis, A. Pandit, The molecular pH-response mechanism of the plant light-stress sensor PsbS, (2021) Nature Communications 12 (1), 1-11, doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-22530-4
- F. Nami, L. Tian, M. Huber, R. Croce, A. Pandit, Lipid and protein dynamics of stacked and cation-depleted unstacked thylakoid membranes, (2021), BBA Advances 1, 100015, DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadva.2021.100015
- F. Azadi-Chegeni, M.E. Ward, G. Perin, D. Simionato, T. Morosinotto, M. Baldus, A. Pandit, Conformational dynamics of Light-Harvesting Complex II in a native membrane environment, (2021) Biophys J. 120, p270-283, DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.11.2265
Selective presentations at international conferences
- Session Chair and Introduction Photosynthetic Light Harvesting, Gordon Research Conference Photosynthesis, USA 2023 (invited)
- European Magnetic resonance meeting (EUROMAR), Utrecht, (2022)
- Nordic Photosynthesis Conference, NPC, Gothenburg, Sweden (2021)
- 40th Ann. Discussion Meeting Magnetic Resonance, ISMAR, Germany invited (2018)
- Intl. Soc. Photosynth Research (ISPR) meeting, Vancouver, Canada (2018)
- German Biophysical Society Meeting “Structure, Dynamics and Interactions of Biomolecules” plenary Hunfeld, Germany (2015)
Assistant professor
- Science
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry
- LIC/Energy & Sustainability
- Polanco Rivas E.A., Opdam L.V., Passerini L., Huber M.I., Bonnet S.A. & Pandit A. (2024), An artificial metalloenzyme that can oxidize water photocatalytically: design, synthesis, and characterization, Chemical Science 15(10): 3596-3609.
- Marulanda Valencia W. & Pandit A. (2024), Photosystem II Subunit S (PsbS): a nano regulator of plant photosynthesis, Journal of Molecular Biology/JMB Online 436(5): 168407.
- Polanco Rivas E.A., Opdam L.V., Hakkennes M.L.A., Stringer L., Pandit A. & Bonnet S. (2024), Artificial carbonic Anhydrase-Ruthenium enzyme for photocatalytic water oxidation, ACS Catalysis 14(6): 4277-4289.
- Azadi Chegeni F., Thallmair S., Ward M.E., Perin G., Marrink S.J., Baldus M., Morosinotto T. & Pandit A. (2022), Protein dynamics and lipid affinity of monomeric, zeaxanthin-binding LHCII in thylakoid membranes, Biophysical Journal 121(3): 396-409.
- Nami F., Joao Ferraz M., BakkumT., Aerts J.M.F.G. & Pandit A. (2022), Real‐Time NMR recording of fermentation and lipid metabolism processes in live microalgae cells, Angewandte Chemie (International Edition) : e202117521.
- Pandit A. (2022), Structural dynamics of light harvesting proteins, photosynthetic membranes, and cells observed by spectral editing solid-state NMR, The Journal of Chemical Physics 157(2): 025101.
- Opdam L.V., Polanco Rivas E.A., Regt B. de, Lambertina N., Bakker C., Bonnet S.A. & Pandit A. (2022), A screening method for binding synthetic metallo-complexes to haem proteins, Analytical Biochemistry 653: 114788.
- Azadi-Chegeni F., Ward M.E., Perin G., Simionato D., Morosinotto T., Baldus M. & Pandit A. (2021), Conformational dynamics of light-harvesting complex II in a native membrane environment, Biophysical Journal 120(2): 270-283.
- Krishnan-Schmieden M., Konold P.E., Kennis J.T.M. & Pandit A. (2021), The molecular pH-response mechanism of the plant light-stress sensor PsbS, Nature Communications 12: 2291.
- Nami F., Tian L., Huber M.I., Croce R. & Pandit A. (2021), Lipid and protein dynamics of stacked and cation-depletion induced unstacked thylakoid membranes, BBA Advances 1: 100015.
- Krishnan M., Leeuw T.J.J.F. de & Pandit A. (2019), Cell-free soluble expression of the membrane protein PsbS, Protein Expression and Purification 159: 17-20.
- Azadi‑Chegeni F., Schiphorst C. & Pandit A. (2018), In vivo NMR as a tool for probing molecular structure and dynamics in intact Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cells, Photosynthesis Research 135(1-3): 227-237.
- Pandit A., Stokkum I.H.M. van, Amerongen H. van & Croce R. (2017), Introduction: light harvesting for photosynthesis, Photosynthesis Research 135: 1-2.
- Crisafi E. & Pandit A. (2017), Disentangling protein and lipid interactions that control a molecular switch in photosynthetic light harvesting, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Biomembranes 1859: 40-47.
- Krishnan M., Moolenaar G.F., Sai Sankar Gupta K.B., Goosen N. & Pandit A. (2017), Large-scale in vitro production, refolding and dimerization of PsbS in different microenvironments, Scientific Reports 7: 15200.
- Azadi Chegeni F., Perin G., Sai Sankar Gupta K.B., Simionato D., Morosinotto T. & Pandit A. (2016), Protein and lipid dynamics in photosynthetic thylakoid membranes investigated by in-situ solid-state NMR, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Bioenergetics 1857(12): 1849-1859.
- Mathes T., Heilmann M.A., Pandit A., Zhu J., Ravensbergen J., Kloz M., Fu Y., Smith B.O., Christie J.M., Jenkins G.I. & Kennis J.T.M. (2015), Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer Constitutes the Photoactivation Mechanism of the Plant Photoreceptor UVR8, Journal of the American Chemical Society 137(25): 8113-8120.
- Ferretti M., Novoderezhkin V.I., Romero E., Augulis R., Zigmantasc D., Grondelle R. van & Pandit A. (2014), The nature of coherences in the B820 bacteriochlorophyll dimer revealed by two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy,, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 16(21): 9930-9939.
- Duffy C.D.P., Pandit A. & Ruban A.V. (2014), Modeling the NMR signatures associated with the functional conformational switch in the major light-harvesting antenna of photosystem II in higher plants, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics : .
- Sunku K., Groot H.J.M. de & Pandit A. (2013), Insights into the Photoprotective Switch of the Major Light-harvesting Complex II (LHCII), A preserved core of arginine-glutamate interlocked helices complemented by adjustable loops, Journal of Biological Chemistry 288(27): 19796-19804.
- Kennis J.T.M., Stokkum I.H.M. van, Peterson H.M., Petersson D.S., Pandit A. & Wachter R.M. (2013), Ultrafast Proton Shuttling in Psammocora Cyan Fluorescent Protein, The Journal of Physical Chemistry B 117(38): 11134-11143.
- Pandit A., Reus M., Morosinotto T., Bassi R., Holzwarth A.R. & Groot H.J.M. de (2013), An NMR comparison of the light-harvesting complex II (LHCII) in active and photoprotective states reveals subtle changes in the chlorophyll a ground-state electronic structures, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Bioenergetics 1827(6): 738-744.
- Pandit A., Ocakoglu K., Buda F., Marle T. van, Holzwarth A.R. & Groot H.J.M. de (2013), Structure determination of a bio-inspired self-assembled light-harvesting antenna by solid-state NMR and molecular modeling, Journal of Physical Chemistry B 117(38): 11292-11298.
- Pandit A. & Groot H.J.M. de (2012), Solid-state NMR applied to photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes, Photosynthesis Research 111(1-2): 219-226.
- Pandit A. & Frese R.N. (2012), Artificial Leaves: Towards bio-inspired solar energy converters Comprehensive Renewable Energy. In: Sark W. van (Ed.), Comprehensive Renewable Energy. Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences no. 1: Elsevier. 657-677.
- Pandit A. & Frese R.N. (2012), Artificial Leaves: Towards bio-inspired solar energy converters. In: , Comprehensive Renewable Energy no. 1.35: Elsevier. 657–677.
- Pandit A., Shirzad-Wasei N., Wlodarczyk L.M., Roon H., Boekema E.J., Dekker J. & Grip W.J. de (2011), Assembly of the Major Light-Harvesting Complex II in Lipid Nanodiscs, Biophysical Journal 101(10): 2507-2515.
- Pandit A., Morosinotto T., Reus M., Holzwarth A.R., Bassi R. & Groot H.J.M. de (2011), First solid-state NMR analysis of uniformly (1)(3)C-enriched major light-harvesting complexes from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and identification of protein and cofactor spin clusters, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1807(4): 437-443.
- Pandit A., Buda F., Gammeren A.J. van, Ganapathy S. & Groot H.J.M. de (2010), Selective chemical shift assignment of bacteriochlorophyll a in uniformly [C-13-N-15]-labeled light-harvesting 1 complexes by solid-state NMR in ultrahigh magnetic field, Journal of Physical Chemistry B 114(18): 6207-6215.
- Pandit A., Wawrzyniak P.K., Gammeren A.J. van, Buda F., Ganapathy S. & Groot H.J.M. de (2010), Nuclear magnetic resonance secondary shifts of a light-harvesting 2 complex reveal local backbone perturbations induced by its higher-order interactions, Biochemistry 49(3): 478-486.
- Pouget E., Fay N., Dujardin E., Jamin N., Berthault P., Perrin L., Pandit A., Rose T., Valéry C., Thomas D., Paternostre M. & Artzner F. (2010), Elucidation of the self-assembly pathway of lanreotide octapeptide into beta-sheet nanotubes: role of two stable intermediates, Journal of the American Chemical Society 132(12): 4230-41.
- Valery C., Pouget E., Pandit A., Verbavatz J.M., Bordes L., Boisde I., Cherif-Cheikh R., Artzner F. & Paternostre M. (2008), Molecular origin of the self-assembly of lanreotide into nanotubes: A mutational approach, Biophysical Journal 94(5): 1782-1795.
- Pandit A., Fay N., Bordes L., Valery C., Cherif-Cheikh R., Robert B., Artzner F. & Paternostre M. (2008), Self-assembly of the octapeptide lanreotide and lanreotide-based derivatives: the role of the aromatic residues, Journal of Peptide Science 14(1): 66-75.
- Pandit A., Larsen O.F.A., Stokkum I.H.M. van, Grondelle R. van, Kraayenhof R. & Amerongen H. van (2003), Ultrafast polarized fluorescence measurements on monomeric and self-associated melittin, Journal of Physical Chemistry B 107(13): 3086-3090.
- Pandit A., Stokkum I.H.M. van, Georgakopoulou S., Zwan G. van der & Grondelle R. van (2003), Investigations of intermediates appearing in the reassociation of the light-harvesting 1 complex of Rhodospirillum rubrum, Photosynthesis Research 75(3): 235-248.
- Larsen O.F.A., Stokkum I.H.M., Pandit A., Grondelle R. & Amerongen H. van (2003), Ultrafast polarized fluorescence measurements on tryptophan and a tryptophan-containing peptide, Journal of Physical Chemistry B 107(13): 3080-3085.
- Pandit A., Ma H.R., Stokkum I.H.M. van, Gruebele M. & Grondelle R. van (2002), Time-resolved dissociation of the light-harvesting 1 complex of Rhodospirillum rubrum, studied by infrared laser temperature jump, Biochemistry 41(51): 15115-15120.
- Pandit A., Visschers R.W., Stokkum I.H.M. van, Kraayenhof R. & Grondelle R. van (2001), Oligomerization of light-harvesting I antenna peptides of Rhodospirillum rubrum, Biochemistry 40(43): 12913-12924.