DFG Emmy Noether Award for Dr. Mohanned Alhussien
Freising, January 20, 2026 – We are delighted to share that Dr. Mohanned Alhussien has been awarded the prestigious Emmy Noether grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). This award is one of Germany’s most competitive funding programs, empowering exceptional early-career researchers to establish independent research groups to pursue groundbreaking scientific questions.
The Emmy Noether project, titled “Genetically Engineered Chickens as Tools to Study Interferon Functions in Immunity,” aims to unravel how type I and type III interferons (IFNs), the body’s first line of defense against infections, shape avian immune responses.
Engineering chickens to decode interferon roles and improve poultry health
Using three genetically engineered chicken lines, each lacking receptors for type I IFN, type III IFN, or both, the project will enable precise analysis of interferon-regulated physiological functions under non-infectious conditions. These insights will then be extended to viral and bacterial disease models to understand how pathogens interact with the interferon system and influence susceptibility or resistance to infection. Ultimately, the project seeks to clarify the distinct and synergistic roles of type I and type III IFNs. The research aims to support research in avian and human health by advancing fundamental avian immunobiology, and supporting efforts to improve poultry health, reduce antibiotic use, and mitigate zoonotic risks.
About Dr. Mohanned Alhussien
Dr. Alhussien is an immunologist specializing in innate immune regulation in livestock. He earned his MSc and PhD in Animal Physiology and Immunology at the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), India, where his research focused on cytokine–phagocyte interactions during health and disease.
In 2021, Dr. Alhussien joined the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the group of Prof. Benjamin Schusser (Chair of Reproductive Biotechnology), supported by fellowships from the TUM University Foundation, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and the DFG Walter Benjamin Program. Prof. Schussers research focuses on understanding the chicken immune system by generating genetically modified chickens to uncover the unique features of their innate and adaptive immunity.
At TUM Mohanned developed the first genetically engineered chicken models lacking key interferon receptors. These models now serve as the scientific foundation for his upcoming Emmy Noether project. The Emmy Noether project will be closely integrated into the DFG Research Unit ImmunoChick (or here), fostering strong scientific collaborations and further strengthening partnerships with leading experts in avian immunology across Germany.
“I sincerely thank the DFG for this support. Receiving the Emmy Noether funding marks a major milestone in establishing my independent research group at the Center for Infection Prevention (ZIP) at TUM. It enables us to investigate how interferons shape immune protection in birds, a question central to poultry health and zoonotic disease prevention. Our goal is to generate insights that support animal welfare, sustainable production, and public health.” - Dr. Mohanned Alhussien.
About the DFG and Emmy Noether Programme
DFG Emmy Noether Programme: https://www.dfg.de/en/research-funding/funding-opportunities/programmes/individual/emmy-noether
DFG: https://www.dfg.de/en/about-us/about-the-dfg/what-is-the-dfg
Links:
TUM: https://www.tum.de
TUM School of Life Sciences: https://www.ls.tum.de/en/ls/home/