Moh
El-Naggar
Mohamed "Moh" El-Naggar joined Carnegie Science in October 2026 from the University of Southern California, where he was a Dean’s Professor of Physics, Biological Sciences, and Chemistry and previously served as divisional dean in the Natural Sciences and Mathematics Division of the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, as well as interim dean of the Dornsife College.
El-Naggar and his interdisciplinary research group investigate biological electron transfer and bioenergetics with special emphasis on the interface between microbes and the abiotic world. Their work has important implications for fundamental microbial physiology, geomicrobiology, and renewable energy technologies.
Research Overview
El-Naggar's interdisciplinary research team investigates electron transfer and energy conversion in living organisms, particularly the chemical and energetic interactions that occur when bacterial communities interface with rocks and minerals. These intersections between biological processes and biogeochemical cycles underpin a new understanding of how our Earth System is shaped by microbial dynamics.
Their work, which has important implications for fundamental microbial physiology, geomicrobiology, and renewable energy technologies, is also helping usher the emerging field of "living electronics"—the possibility of building programmable cells that can be integrated into traditional electronics. Toward these goals, El-Naggar pursues multi-institution collaborative efforts bringing together microbiologists, physicists, and chemists to develop a novel understanding of bioenergetics.
Although the reactions and processes his team studies are microscopic, their work has major implications for origins-of-life research, as well as sustainable energy and environmental remediation. This background made El-Naggar the perfect fit for refining and developing Carnegie’s Blueprint for Discovery, linking the synthesis of molecules in stellar forges to the formation and evolution of planets and the conditions that enabled life to arise, thrive, and shape our world in turn.
El-Naggar received a B.S. degree from Lehigh University (2001), followed by M.S. (2002) and Ph.D. (2006) degrees from Caltech. He is an editor for the Journal of Bacteriology and was elected fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology in 2024. El-Naggar was awarded a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers by President Obama in 2014. In 2012, he was named one of Popular Science's "Brilliant 10." In 2010, El-Naggar received a Department of Defense Young Investigator Award from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. He is passionate about science communication and was awarded a USC General Education Teaching Award in 2014. Most important of all, he is proud of cultivating scientific networks and nurturing careers. He actively mentored 17 postdoctoral researchers, 13 PhD students, 20 undergraduate researchers, and 6 high school students during his 16-year faculty career at USC.
CV
El-Naggar received a B.S. degree from Lehigh University (2001), followed by M.S. (2002) and Ph.D. (2006) degrees from the California Institute of Technology.
- Blavatnik Scholar and Finalist for the Blavatnik National Awards (Life Sciences), 2017-2018
- Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), 2013-2014
- 2013 Raubenheimer Awardee for Outstanding Junior Faculty Member, 2013
- DoD Young Investigator Program Award, 2009 – 2013
- Named as one of Popular Science’s “Brilliant 10”, 2012-2013
- USC Zumberge Research and Innovation Fund Award, Winner of the large Interdisciplinary award (with Urbashi Mitra), 07/01/2011 – 08/16/2012
- Applied Materials, Inc. Doctoral Fellow, 2004 – 2006
- The Lehigh University Alumni Association Prize, 2000-2001
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