
About
Prof. Dr. Andreas Reiner is a faculty member in the Department of Cellular Neurobiology at the Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr University Bochum. His research focuses on glutamate receptor signaling, synaptic plasticity, and the development of optical techniques for studying receptor dynamics in the central nervous system.
- University: Ruhr University Bochum
- School: Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology
- Department: Cellular Neurobiology
- Email: andreas.reiner@ruhr-uni-bochum.de
His work emphasizes the use of chemical photoswitches (photoswitchable ligands) for light-based activation/inhibition of ionotropic (iGluRs) and metabotropic (mGluRs) glutamate receptors, enabling precise optogenetic and pharmacological studies. Research also explores receptor desensitization, subunit occupancy, and structural diversity.
Recent publications highlight advancements in photoswitchable tools (2023), structural analysis of kainate receptors (2021), and subunit-selective antagonists for NMDA receptors (2020). Earlier work (2013-2016) established foundational techniques for optogenetic control of glutamate receptors.



