Neher

Neher is a German-language surname. The name is most closely associated with Erwin Neher (born 1944), a German biophysicist and Nobel laureate. In 1991, Neher shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Bert Sakmann for the development of the patch-clamp technique, a method that makes it possible to record electrical currents through individual ion channels in living cells.

The patch-clamp technique has become a foundational tool in cell physiology, pharmacology, and neuroscience, enabling researchers to study the gating and conductance of ion channels with exceptional precision. Neher's research, largely conducted at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, contributed to the quantitative understanding of ion channel function and membrane transport. Beyond his experimental work, the patch-clamp method has influenced thousands of studies and the development of new drugs targeting ion channels.

The surname Neher is found in German-speaking regions and among populations with German heritage. As a representative name in science, it is primarily recognized through Erwin Neher and his contributions to electrophysiology.