USDA-APHIS Development of Monoclonal Antibody Resources against High Consequence Animal Pathogens
*Applications are reviewed on a rolling-basis.
APHIS Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), located in Manhattan, Kansas.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is a multi-faceted Agency with a broad mission area that includes protecting and promoting U.S. agricultural health, regulating genetically engineered organisms, administering the Animal Welfare Act and carrying out wildlife damage management activities. These efforts support the overall mission of USDA, which is to protect and promote food, agriculture, natural resources and related issues. APHIS' mission also includes addressing issues such as wildlife damage and disease management; regulation of genetically engineered crops and animal welfare; and protection of public health and safety as well as natural resources that are vulnerable to invasive pests and pathogens.
The Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (FADDL) is one of four National Veterinary Service Laboratories (NVSL) within Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). FADDL is tasked with providing protection to United States agriculture by providing 24/7 diagnostic support for high-consequence, transboundary animal diseases, such as African Swine Fever and Foot-and-Mouth Disease.
Research Project: This project is focused on expanding the capacity of Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab (FADDL) to produce and characterize monoclonal antibody reagents at the National Bio- and Agro- Defense Facility (NBAF). It will involve handling both existing hybridomas as well as the generation of new hybridomas. The applicant will help facilitate the recovery and characterization of cryopreserved hybridoma lines currently available to FADDL. The applicant will propagate hybridomas, validate continued antibody production, isotype and sequence expressed antibodies, produce additional cell cryo-stocks, and be document methodologies and observations.
In addition to recovering existing hybridomas the applicant will facilitate the production of new hybridomas against high consequence veterinary pathogens. Targeted pathogens may include the following, African Swine Fever Virus, Classical Swine Fever Virus, Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus, Lumpy Skin Disease Virus, Japanese Encephalitis virus, Rift Valley Fever Virus, Nipah, Hendra, Ebola, Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic fever, and other pathogens that may require diagnostic differentiation within livestock. The applicant will be involved in all stages of production of hybridomas including but not limited to, inoculation of mice with target antigen, harvesting and fusion of mouse splenocytes with myeloma cells, propagation of hybridomas, and screening of monoclonal antibody reactivity.
Learning Objectives:
Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will gain experience in:
- Recovery of cryopreserved hybridomas
- Culturing of different hybridoma cell lines
- The production of monoclonal antibodies from hybridoma cell lines
- Performing quality control assays on hybridoma cell lines (i.e. isotyping, variable domain sequencing, testing for contaminations)
- Making new hybridoma cell lines
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Michael Puckette (Michael.Puckette@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: March 16, 2026. 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 APHIS 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. The anticipated stipend range is $51,000 - $75,000 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 APHIS. Participants do not become employees of USDA, APHIS, 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-APHIS@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
Qualifications
The qualified candidate should have received or be pursuing a master's or doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields.
Preferred skills:
- Experience in technical writing, demonstrated flexibility and self-motivation, background with mammalian cell culture particularly hybridomas, background with protein production and purification, previous experience handling mice or laboratory animals
Stipend
$51,000.00 – $75,000.00 Yearly
Point of Contact
Eligibility Requirements
- Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
- Degree: Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree.