Usda-ars Research Fellowship in Post-harvest - Wyndmoor, United States - U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Description

Organization

• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
  Reference Code
• USDA-ARSNE
  How to Apply

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• Transcript(s)
• For this opportunity, an unofficial transcript or copy of the student academic records printed by the applicant or by academic advisors from internal institution systems may be submitted.
• A current resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, relevant experiences, and publication list
• Two educational or professional recommendations
• A copy of an abstract or reprint of an article

All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.


Application Deadline

• 7/5/2024 11:59:00 PM Eastern Time Zone
  Description

-
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), located in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania.

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 participant will help examine issues related to post-harvest microbial safety of fresh-cut produce.

Specifically, under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will study the survival of Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp.

on work-in-process (WIP) fresh-cut produce ingredients during holding time, and pathogen transference potential onto containers. This research will be conducted at the U.S.

Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Northeast Area, Eastern Regional Research Center, Microbial and Chemical Food Safety Research Unit (MCFS).

The mission of the research unit is to improve microbial and chemical food safety and reduce foodborne illness and chemical contaminants by developing effective and environment-friendly intervention technologies and treatments.

The participant will help design and conduct all aspects of the experiment under guidance of the mentor, and in consultation with ARS and project collaborators.

This includes evaluation of the survival of various foodborne pathogens on selected WIP ingredients during holding time, as well as pathogen transference potential onto containers.

The impact of WIP type, storage container, and native microflora will be investigated. Furthermore, possible endogenous antimicrobials will be determined and correlated with the survival of pathogens. The relationship among all the factors will be analyzed using statistical tools and mathematical models.

The USDA ARS MCFS research unit is located in Eastern Regional Research Center (ERRC) in the suburb of Philadelphia, PA.

A wide variety of research projects intended for enhancing the quality and safety of various food products are being conducted at ERRC.

The participant will benefit from contacts and interactions with the scientists on these projects. ERRC has a strong history of collaborating with many different academic institutions and U.S. federal government agencies.

ORISE fellows, postdoctoral research associates, and interns who have previously been stationed at ERRC have had success in using their experience to gain different opportunities at the state and federal government levels, and with trade associations and in private industry.

Learning Objectives:

The participant will learn methods to inoculate and isolate bacterial pathogens from various fresh produce items, estimation of bacterial injury and survival, and contribution of native antimicrobials to the survival of pathogens.

The participant will have the opportunity to learn more in-depth statistical analysis techniques through various trainings and workshops if desired, and also through research on interdisciplinary project within ARS.

This is an integrated produce safety research project, and the participant will have opportunities to learn at each stage of the continuum.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date:
July 1, 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