He received his Ph.D. in biophysics from the Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany, after elucidating the molecular mechanism of the light-gated cation channel Channelrhodopsin-2. Based on this essential work, he extended the optogenetic toolbox by engineering various tools for controlling neuronal circuits by light. Andre Berndt continued his work as a postdoc at Stanford University where he identified the structural determinants of channelrhodopsin ion selectivity, leading to the design of a completely new channelrhodopsin. By merging biophysics and bioengineering with neuroscience, Andre aims to develop the most efficient and specific tools for interrogating neuronal circuits.