Reineke joined the University of Minnesota in 2011. Her research group focus on the design, characterisation and functionalisation of macromolecular systems. These macromolecules include biocompatible polymers that can deliver DNA for regenerative medicine as well as targeted therapeutic treatments. She was made a Lloyd H. Reyerson Professor with tenure at the University of Minnesota in 2011. Reineke has published over 140 papers.
Nucleic acids can have an unparalleled specificity for targets inside a cell, but need to be compacted into nanostructures (polyplexes) that can enter cells. Reineke designs polymer-based transportation systems for nucleic acids. These polymer vehicles can improve the solubility and bioavailability of drugs. These often incorporate carbohydrates, which have an affinity for polyplexes and are non-toxic. She is a member of the University of Minnesota Centre for Sustainable Polymers, synthesising polymers from sustainable ingredients. The carbohydrate units within her polymer drug delivery systems are a widely available, renewable resource. The sustainable polymers designed by Reineke include poly(ester-thioethers).
Reineke used reversible addition−fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization for the synthesis of diblock terpolymers that can be used for targeted drug delivery. She used spray dried dispersions of the polymer with the drug probucol.
Reineke was made a University of Minnesota Distinguished McKnight University Professor in 2017. She is the associate editor of ACS Macro Letters and on the Advisory Board of Biomacromolecules, Bioconjugate Chemistry and Polymer Chemistry. She is a member of the American Chemical Society Polymer Division. Her work has been supported by an National Science Foundation CAREER Award, a Sloan Research Fellowship, the National Institutes of Health and the National Academy of Sciences.