Erwin Neher, along with Bert Sakmann, was awarded the 1991 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for the development of the patch clamp technique. The use of this technique enabled Neher and Sakmann to forge new paths in the study of membrane physiology and to understand the structure and functions of ion channels found in the plasma membranes of most body cells. The patch clamp technique has given physiologists a precise understanding of cellular microelectrical activity and has contributed significantly to the research and treatment of cystic fibrosis, diabetes, epilepsy, and other disorders of the cardiovascular and neuromuscular systems.

Neher was born in Landsberg, Germany, on March 20, 1944, the son of Franz Xavier Neher and Elisabeth Pfeiffer Neher. In 1965, he completed his undergraduate studies at the Institute of Technology in Munich with a major in physics. Two years later, he earned his master's degree from the University of Wisconsin under...