In 2005, Kneipp joined the BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing. She moved to the Humboldt University of Berlin in 2008. Her research develops multi-photon spectroscopy for bioanalysis. She was supported by the European Research Council to develop Multiphoton Processes Using Plasmonics. As part of her work, Kneipp developed multi-functional nanosensors, which can be combined with plasmonic nanoparticles and provide multiple surface-enhanced spectroscopic signatures. Plasmonic structures can enhance local optical fields, In particular, Kneipp is interested in Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of complex samples. She uses SERS to better understand how molecules interact with nanostructures, for applications in biospectroscopy and in plasmonic catalysis.
Beyond SERS, Kneipp has shown that a combination of Raman spectroscopy with other methods can be used to study plant samples. Vibrational spectra of plants can provide information about the biochemical composition of structures like pollen, and can give information on plant-climate interactions.
From 2015-2020, Kneipp joined the German Research Foundation (DFG) review board for chemistry. She is member of excellence cluster UniSysCat and the Einstein Center of Catalysis. She is co-founder of the School of Analytical Sciences Adlershof (SALSA), a graduate program at HU.