USDA-ARS Graduate Research Opportunity in Computational Microbiology
*Applications are reviewed on a rolling-basis and this posting could close before the deadline.
ARS Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) at the Bacterial Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Resistance Research Unit located within the National Poultry Research Center in Athens, Georgia.
Research Project: The participant will perform bioinformatics to support antimicrobial research at the Bacterial Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Resistance Branch, located within the USDA-ARS, National Poultry Research Center in Athens, GA; however research can be carried out at a secondary facility location under the guidance of a secondary mentor. The mission of the Bacterial Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Resistance Unit is to study antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic food borne pathogens and commensal bacteria, to understand mechanisms of resistances to antibiotics and the spread of resistance through the environment and to human populations. Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will use bioinformatics and his/her knowledge in microbial genetics to gain an understanding of the bacterial reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes in poultry-associated commensal and pathogenic bacteria.
Learning Objectives: Throughout the course of this research project, the participant will gain competency in command-line bioinformatic pipelines for characterizing bacterial virulence and antibiotic resistance genes. The participant will also learn application of whole genome sequencing for bacterial identification and classification.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Adelumola Oladeinde (ade.oladeinde@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: Summer/Fall 2020. 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 part-time (20 hours per week).
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 and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR). 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 USDA-ARS@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.