*Applications may be reviewed on a rolling-basis.
ARS Office/Lab and Location: A postdoctoral research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research Unit located in Ames, IA.
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: By 2030, world agricultural production must increase by 60% to feed an additional two billion people. Improving crop yields and mitigating losses due to pathogens and pests is critical for global food security. The overarching goal of this project is to develop gene regulatory networks (GRNs) for soybean resistance responses to a variety of pathogens including Asian soybean rust, Phytophthora stem rot, brown stem rot and soybean aphid. We are leveraging the soybean germplasm collection, extensive phenotyping, gene expression studies to identify the major signaling genes regulating these networks. Under the guidance of a mentor, Virus induced gene silencing and genome editing will be used to characterize gene function and the networks they control. The knowledge generated will be used to improve soybean for enhanced disease tolerance by accelerating breeding programs and enabling the engineering of new and improved traits.
Learning Objectives: As a result of this experience, the participant will 1) learn methods to conduct whole genome expression analyses (RNA-seq) of plant/pathogen and plant/insect interactions, 2) learn bioinformatic methods to identify and characterize candidate genes of interest, 3) learn methods to conduct viral induced gene silencing of candidate genes of interest, and 4) develop skills in conducting, writing and presenting research.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Dr. Michelle Graham (michelle.graham@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 2025/2026 Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.
Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for 12 months 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.Midwest@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. Degree must have been received within the past four years.
Preferred Skills:
- Experience in plant/pathogen or plant/insect interactions.
- Ability to plan and conduct research experiments.
- Experience in data collection and analysis methods.
Point of Contact
Eligibility Requirements
- Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
- Degree: Doctoral Degree.