Benjamin Schusser

Prof. Dr. Benjamin Schusser is an Associate Professor of Reproductive Biotechnology at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), leading the Professorship for Biotechnology of Reproduction within the TUM School of Life Sciences. His academic journey includes a veterinary medicine degree from LMU Munich (2000–2007), a doctoral thesis at LMU's Institute of Animal Physiology (2007–2010), and postdoctoral research at UC Davis and Crystal Bioscience (USA). He established an Emmy Noether Junior Research Group (2015–2020) and joined TUM in 2015 as an Assistant Professor before being promoted to Associate Professor in 2022.

His research focuses on the immune system of domestic chickens, particularly using genetic engineering to study B and T cell development, antiviral mechanisms (e.g., against avian herpesvirus and Salmonella), and reproductive biotechnology. Notable contributions include creating immunoglobulin knockout chickens, developing influenza-resistant chicken lines via CRISPR/Cas9, and investigating nociception in chicken embryos. His work bridges basic immunology with applied biotechnology, with implications for poultry health and disease control.

• Education:
  • 2000–2007: Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
  • 2007–2010: Doctoral Thesis, LMU Munich Institute of Animal Physiology
• Key Research Themes:
  • Genetic modification of poultry for disease resistance
  • B and T cell immunology in avian species
  • Embryo development and nociception
  • CRISPR/Cas9 applications in livestock
• Awards:
  • Emmy Noether Junior Research Group (2014)
  • TUM Ideaward (2018)
  • Start-up competition for digital innovations (2018)
• Labs/Teams: Leads the Reproductive Biotechnology lab at TUM, collaborating with institutions like LMU Munich and Crystal Bioscience on genetic engineering and avian immunology projects.