USDA-ARS Molecular Plant Pathology Postdoctoral Fellowship

ARS Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), US National Arboretum, Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit located in Beltsville, Maryland.

The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific in-house research agency with a mission to find solutions to agricultural problems that affect Americans every day from field to table. ARS will deliver cutting-edge, scientific tools and innovative solutions for American farmers, producers, industry, and communities to support the nourishment and well-being of all people; sustain our nation’s agroecosystems and natural resources; and ensure the economic competitiveness and excellence of our agriculture. The vision of the agency is to provide global leadership in agricultural discoveries through scientific excellence. This opportunity takes place in a large and multi-disciplinary ARS research facility in Beltsville, MD, and is with the Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit of the US National Arboretum.

Research Project: The participant will study cool virulence mechanisms of the race 3 biovar 2 strains of Ralstonia solanacearum, including generation and virulence screening of transposon mutants, analysis of mutant phenotypes, and determination of genes affected in the mutants.

Learning Objectives: The participant will become proficient at molecular plant pathology skills, specifically related to bacterial pathogens. Activities may include generating and screening mutants, virulence assays, transposon mutagenesis, PCR, and qPCR. The participant will gain experience with plant pathogens in a select-agent laboratory and greenhouse setting. 

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Qi Huang (qi.huang@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: As soon as a qualified candidate is identified.  Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year, but may be renewed upon recommendation of ARS and is contingent on the availability of funds.

Level of Participation: The appointment is full-time.

Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.

Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR), and foreign nationals. Non-U.S. citizen applicants should refer to the Guidelines for Non-U.S. Citizens Details page of the program website for information about the valid immigration statuses that are acceptable for program participation.

ORISE Information: This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and ARS. Participants do not become employees of USDA, ARS, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.

Questions: Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process please email USDA-ARS@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

The qualified candidate should have received a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields.

Preferred skills: