Thorsten Ritz

Picture of Thorsten Ritz
Associate Professor, Physics & Astronomy
School of Physical Sciences
Ph.D., University of Ulm, Germany, 2001, The Quantum Physics of the Bacterial Photosynthetic System
Phone: (949) 824-4345
Fax: (949) 824 2174
Email: tritz@uci.edu
University of California, Irvine
Rowland Hall 210 H
Mail Code: 4575
Irvine, CA 92697
Research Interests
Biological Physics, Magnetoreception, Molecular Modeling
Academic Distinctions
Alfred P. Sloan Fellow
Cottrell Scholar, Research Cooperation
Fellow, UK Institute of Physics
UC Irvine Distinguished Assistant Professor for Research
Appointments
K. Klivington Fellow (2001-2003)
University of Oxford, Virginia Tech, University of Frankfurt
Publications
S. Johnsen, E. Mattern, T. Ritz
Light-dependent magnetoreception: quantum catches and opponency mechanisms of possible photosensitive molecules
J. Exp. Biol. 210, 3171-3178 (2007).
M. Ahmad, P. Galland, T. Ritz, R. Wiltschko, W. Wiltschko
Magnetic intensity affects cryptochrome-controlled responses in Arabidopsis
Planta 225, 615-624 (2007).
P. Thalau, T. Ritz, H. Burda, R. Wegner, R. Wiltschko,
The magnetic compass mechanisms of birds and rodents are based on different physical principles
J. R. Soc. Interface 3, 583-587 (2006).
L. Janosi, H. Keer, I. Kosztin, T. Ritz
Influence of subunit structure on the oligomerization state of light
harvesting complexes: a free energy calculation study
Chem. Phys. 323, 117-128 (2006).
R. Wiltschko, T. Ritz, K. Stapput, R. Wiltschko, W. Wiltschko
Two different types of light-dependent responses to magnetic fields in birds.
Current Biology 15, 1518-1623 (2005).
H. Mouritsen, T. Ritz
Magnetoreception and its use in bird navigation.
Curr. Opin. Neurobiol. 15, 406-414 (2005).
T. Ritz, P. Thalau, J. Phillips, R. Wiltschko, W. Wiltschko
Resonance effects indicate radical pair mechanism for avian magnetic compass.
Nature 429, 177-180 (2004)
T. Ritz, A. Damjanovic, K. Schulten
The Quantum Physics of Photosynthesis.
ChemPhysChem 3, 100-105 (2002).
Graduate Programs
Mathematical and Computational Biology
Last updated
10/28/2008