Tino Pleiner

Dr. Tino Pleiner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology at Stanford University’s School of Medicine. He is also a Member of Bio-X, the Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI), and the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute. His career spans groundbreaking work in nanobody engineering, membrane protein biogenesis, and cellular proteostasis mechanisms.

• B.Sc. in Biochemistry (University of Leipzig, 2010)
• M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Molecular Biology (University of Göttingen/Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, 2012/2016)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship (California Institute of Technology, 2016-2019)

His research focuses on the ER membrane protein complex (EMC) and its role in membrane protein insertion, assembly, and proteostasis. He pioneered alpaca nanobody tools for structural biology, super-resolution imaging, and protein purification. His 2024 work revealed substrate-specific biogenesis pathways, while 2021 studies uncovered WNK1’s moonlighting role in EMC regulation. He also developed MINFIELD-STED to reduce photobleaching in nanoscopy.

Recent publications highlight collaborations on EMC-BOS complex interactions, Nup98 checkpoint mechanisms, and nano-body-based protein purification. His lab integrates cryo-EM, genetic screening, and cellular assays to dissect these pathways.

Scientific Awards:

• Baxter Faculty Scholar (2024)
• German Animal Welfare Research Prize (2018)
• Ross Postdoctoral Fellowship (Caltech, 2018)
• DFG Postdoctoral Fellowship (2019)
• IMPRS Graduate Fellowship (2010)
• German Academic Scholarship Foundation (2009)

As a first-generation college graduate, Dr. Pleiner mentors in Stanford’s First-Generation Mentorship Program. His lab’s 15 recent articles span protein biogenesis pathways, nuclear import/export, and innovative nanobody tools, with structural insights from cryo-EM and crosslinking MS. Collaborations include leadership roles in Science and Molecular Cell studies.