USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Avian Virology, Immunology and Synthetic Biology

*Applications are reviewed on a rolling-basis.

ARS Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), located in Athens, Georgia.

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.

Research Project: The US National Poultry Research Center (USNPRC) is seeking a postdoctoral fellow to investigate the complex molecular interactions between Infectious Laryngotracheitis Virus (ILTV) and the host immune system. As an alphaherpesvirus, ILTV causes significant economic losses worldwide through respiratory distress and decreased production in poultry. This research specifically focuses on the characterization of virus-encoded immunoregulatory proteins, known as virokines, which serve as evolved mechanisms allowing the virus to subvert or evade the host’s innate and adaptive immune responses. By utilizing synthetic biology and reverse genetics, the participant will dissect the function of these proteins to identify targets for attenuation, ultimately leveraging these insights to engineer next-generation vaccine candidates using viral-vector platforms to bridge the gap between fundamental virology and applied veterinary medicine.

Research activities will include the characterization of novel ILTV-encoded virokines to determine their specific cellular targets within the avian immune system and develop novel vaccines. The fellow will determine the role of these immunomodulatory proteins in viral replication and pathogenesis using both in vitro and in vivo models. Furthermore, the project involves utilizing CRISPR/Cas9 and recombineering to generate mutant viruses lacking specific virokines to assess their potential as live-attenuated vaccine candidates. To ensure rigorous evaluation, the participant will establish standardized immunological assays to define the correlates of protection, focusing on both mucosal and systemic cellular responses. Finally, the project culminates in the evaluation of the safety and efficacy of these candidate vaccines within BSL-2 animal facilities.

Learning Objectives: 

• The participant will gain advanced technical expertise in synthetic biology and the genetic manipulation of large DNA viruses.
• The fellow will receive hands-on training in cutting-edge vaccine development
• The program offers unique experience in conducting high-containment research within BSL-2 laboratory environments.
• Participants will develop proficiency in multi-parameter flow cytometry and specialized immunological assays to measure avian-specific immune correlates.
• The fellow will benefit from professional mentorship in scientific reasoning, manuscript preparation, and presenting data at virology conferences.
• The fellowship provides exposure to a multidisciplinary federal research environment, fostering collaborations with USDA experts in molecular virology, immunology, bioinformatics and genomics.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Stephen Spatz (stephen.spatz@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: April 1, 2026. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment Length: The appointment will be for two years.

Level of Participation: The appointment is full time.

Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The anticipated stipend range is $70,000 annually. 

Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.

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 ORISE.ARS.HQPostdoc@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a doctoral degree in the one of the relevant fields (infectious disease, immunology, virology, or a related field). Degree must have been received within the past four years or be currently pursuing.

Preferred skills:

• Advanced Molecular Virology: Direct experience with synthetic biology, reverse genetics systems, or recombineering to manipulate large DNA viral genomes
• Gene Editing Expertise: Hands-on proficiency with CRISPR/Cas9-based approaches for generating mutant viruses.
• Immunological Profiling: Advanced skills in multi-parameter flow cytometry (FACS), immune cell isolation, and ELISA development.
• Animal Research (BSL-2): Previous experience handling animal models (ideally poultry) within high-containment (BSL-2) environments, including conducting vaccine safety and efficacy trials.
• Bioinformatics: Familiarity with computational tools for NGS sequence analysis, transcriptomics (RNA-seq), or data interpretation to bridge molecular and systems biology.
• Preferred candidates will have experience in molecular biology. virology, flow cytometry, bioinformatics, and animal model handling.

Stipend

$70,000.00 Yearly

Point of Contact

Janeen

Eligibility Requirements

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Doctoral Degree.