USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Research Fellowship: Genetic Diversity and Virulence Determinants in Soybean Pathogen, Calonectria ilicicola

*Applications are reviewed on a rolling-basis.

ARS Office/Lab and Location: A post-doctoral fellowship opportunity is available at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), within the Soybean/Maize germplasm, pathology, genetics research unit, USDA-ARS at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA.

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 this unit is to: 1) acquire, characterize, evaluate, maintain, utilize, and distribute germplasm accessions in the genus Glycine; 2) identify genes controlling traits of economic importance in soybean including seed yield, seed composition, and disease or pest resistance, and transfer those traits into improved germplasm; 3) investigate soybean genomic responses to microbial and pest interactions; 4) determine the genetic and pathogenic variability of soybean pathogens and pests, and the epidemiology of the diseases they cause; 5) improve management strategies for soybean pathogens and pests utilizing host genetics and knowledge of population dynamics; and, 7) acquire, maintain, develop evaluate, characterize, and distribute genetic and cytogenetic stocks of maize.

Research Project: Our project aims to investigate the population diversity and biology related to the virulence of the soybean pathogen Calonectria ilicicola, which is a causal agent of red crown rot in soybeans. Our primary focus will be on utilizing classical, molecular and genomic tools. This fungal pathogen poses a significant threat to soybean production, and understanding its genetic diversity and virulence-related genes is crucial for developing effective management strategies and resistance breeding.

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

• Participate on field and greenhouse experiments to collect samples from soybean plants affected by red crown rot.
• Apply classical, molecular, and genomic approaches to analyze the genetic diversity of C. ilicicola populations.
• Identify the virulence-associated genes and pathways in C. ilicicola and develop methods for validation.
• Collaborate on the project and contribute to data interpretation and manuscript preparation.
• Collaborate and learn with other graduate and undergraduate students in the lab.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Hari Karki (hari.karki@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: November 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, 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.Midwest@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 (e.g. Plant Pathology, Mycology, Microbiology, Population genetics, or a related science). Degree must have been received within the past five years, or anticipated to be received by 12/31/2024.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong background in fungal biology & genetics, genomics, molecular and population biology.
• Knowledge of soybean pathology and familiarity with soybean diseases.
• Experience with next-generation sequencing (Whole genome & RNA-Seq) data analysis.
• Proficiency in bioinformatics and statistical analysis.
• Experience with fungal molecular biology techniques and microscopy.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work collaboratively.
• Track record of publishing research in peer-reviewed journals related to fungal biology or fungal diseases of agricultural crops.

Eligibility Requirements

• Degree: Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or anticipated to be received by 12/31/2024 12:00:00 AM.