USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Plant Molecular Biologist

*Applications will be 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 Charleston, South Carolina.

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.

The mission of the U. S. Vegetable Laboratory at Charleston, SC conducts research to solve region-wide and national problems in the production and protection of vegetable crops. This research is conducted in close cooperation with the 13 southeastern agricultural experiment stations. The mission of the laboratory is: a) to improve genetic populations of vegetable crops by combining resistance to diseases and pests (nematodes, insects, and weeds) with favored quality characters and improved yield potentials; and b) to develop knowledge on disease and pest biology, ecology, and epidemiology that can be used as a basis for the development and implementation of new, reliable, environmentally sound integrated management systems that rely on host resistance, biocontrol, and natural compounds rather than conventional pesticides.

Research Project: This project is being conducted by the participant to develop novel and sensitive disease diagnosis and molecular detection to identify viruses and nematodes infecting sweetpotato and characterize the genetic diversity of sweetpotato using genomic technologies and their effect on crop yield and quality. 

Learning Objectives: Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will learn to:

• Conduct high throughput sequencing and bioinformatic analysis to identify and characterize viruses and nematodes.
• Develop molecular methods for sensitive field-based detection of viruses and nematodes.
• Conduct genome re-sequencing to evaluate epigenetic effects of micropropagation on sweetpotato 'Beauregard' clonal materials.
• Identify somatic mutations of sweetpotato maintained by clean plant centers and USDA and evaluate their effects on yield and quality.
• Rapid propagation of clean plants in indoor vertical farming for nursery propagation and their effect on yield and quality.

Mentor: The mentor for this opportunity is Kai-Shu Ling (kai.ling@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: September 2024.  Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for two years but may be extended upon recommendation of USDA 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  ORISE.ARS.Southeast@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields (Plant Pathology, Nematology, Virology, Plant Biology, Genetics, Molecular Biology or related fields).

Preferred qualifications

• Experience in diagnosis and detection of viruses and plant parasitic nematodes.
• Experience in molecular biology and/or next generation sequencing technologies.
• Experience using horticultural and /or plant tissue culture and gene-editing technologies.
• Experience performing bioinformatic analysis and/or familiarity with scripting languages (i.e., R. Python, Linux ext.)
• Knowledge and experience in applied or molecular pathology.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, self -motivated, and willingness to learn new skills and techniques.

Eligibility Requirements

• Degree: Doctoral Degree.