USDA-ARS Research Opportunity in Biological Control of Aflatoxins

*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), within the Pest Management and Biocontrol Unit of the Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, in Tucson, Arizona.

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 overall research goal of the lab is to develop, improve, optimize, and disseminate aflatoxin biocontrol technologies to growers. This is accomplished through a combination of laboratory and field studies aimed at understanding how biocontrol strains of Aspergillus flavus interact with aflatoxin-producing fungi under different biotic and abiotic conditions. The current project focuses on optimizing the aflatoxin biocontrol technology in order to increase the efficacy and minimize the long-term cost of biocontrol treatments in corn. The research activities associated with this appointment include:

• Set up and maintain field and laboratory studies.
• Crop and soil sample collection, processing, and analysis using microbiological, molecular biological, and chemical methods to characterize fungal populations and quantify aflatoxin concentrations.
• Prepare test solutions, culture media, and reagents.
• Maintain proper labeling, handling, storage, use and disposal of solutions, biohazard and hazardous waste, and microbiological cultures.
• Document and record accurate data using a laboratory notebook.
• Summarize and interpret research results.

Learning Objectives: The successful applicant will have the opportunity to conduct laboratory and applied field research and expand skills in data collection and tabulation, plant pathology, microbiology, and molecular biology. 

Mentor: The mentor for this opportunity is Hillary Mehl (hillary.mehl@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: October 2024. 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 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.PacificWest@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received a bachelor's degree in a relevant field within the past year.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience working with filamentous fungi.
• Desire and ability to conduct field research in agricultural settings.
• Experience in conducting field and/or laboratory experiments.
• Experience with standard microbiological and molecular biology techniques (e.g., sterile technique, culturing, DNA/RNA extraction, PCR, qPCR).
• Good communication skills both written and spoken.
• Attention to detail and ability to learn new skills.

Eligibility Requirements

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Bachelor's Degree.