Dr. Thomas Binz is a long-standing leader in the neurotoxin field. His seminal contributions include cloning of botulinum toxin genes and discovering the molecular mechanisms of their action. These contributions are widely recognized throughout both academia and industry. Dr. Binz received a diploma and Ph.D. in biology from Giessen University, Germany. He completed his postdoctoral training in Tübingen at the Federal Research Center for Virus Diseases of Animals. He studied the genome organization of Borna disease virus and the mode of action of clostridial neurotoxins in the laboratory of Dr. Heiner Niemann, a renowned molecular biologist. Dr. Binz became a faculty member in the Department of Biochemistry at Hanover Medical School in 1997. Since then, he has been directing the DFG-funded research program focused on cellular receptors of botulinum neurotoxins. He also led industry-supported studies aimed at re-engineering the toxins’ catalytic domains. Dr. Binz has given lectures around the world and has published numerous impactful research articles, reviews, and books.