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Published: 17 Oct 2022 1,244 views
ARS Office/Lab and Location: One postdoctoral research opportunity is available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) within the Western Regional Research Center (WRRC), Foodborne Toxin Detection and Prevention Research Unit, located in Albany, CA, through the ORISE Program to conduct experiments aimed at developing and characterizing antibodies against foodborne toxins produced by plant, bacterial, and fungal toxins.
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: In the United States, an estimated 48 million cases of foodborne illnesses occur annually according to the USDA-ARS – with many of these cases having negative impacts on public health and the economy. Foodborne pathogens cause 9.4 million of these cases and cost the economy $15.5 billion each year. Toxins are the major contributor of various foodborne illnesses, thus the detection of bacterial and non-bacterial toxins in foods is vital for food safety and food defense.
The participant will be stationed in a laboratory at the Western Regional Research Center (WRRC) and carry out an independent project that includes: 1) developing and/or characterization of antibodies for toxins produced by plant, bacterial, and fungal pathogens; 2) establishing sensitive, rapid, and thermally stable immunoassays including traditional ELISA-based and/or novel platforms (biosensors, etc.) for detection of toxins present in the environment as well as food matrices; and 3) establishing in vitro as well in vivo animal models of infection to determine the protective effect (if any) of the antibodies developed.
Learning Objectives: In the mentor’s laboratory, the selected candidate will have the opportunity to practice cloning, expression and purification of recombinant proteins; develop and characterize monoclonal antibodies; develop/use in vivo assays as well in vivo small animal models of infection to determine if there is a protective effect of antibodies of interest; and develop and characterize immunoassays for field uses.
The University of Arizona (also referred to as Arizona, U of A, or UA) is a public research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885, the UA was the first university in the Arizona Territory. As of 2018, the university enrolls 45,217 students in 19 separate colleges/schools, including the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson and Phoenix and the James E. Rogers College of Law, and is affiliated with two academic medical centers (Banner - University Medical Center Tucson and Banner - University Medical Center Phoenix). The University of Arizona is governed by the Arizona Boa... continue reading
| Application Deadline | Not Specified |
| Country to study | United States |
| School to study | University of Arizona |
| Type | Fellowship |
| Sponsor | University of Arizona |
| Gender | Men and Women |
The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with their educational level and experience. The participant will receive a stipend of $81,338 per year. The participant will receive a health insurance stipend of $6,752 per year if eligible.
