USDA-ARS Entomopathogenic Fungi for Biocontrol of Nematodes and Insects

Organization: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Reference Code: USDA-ARS-NEA-2026-0387.

About the role

Under guidance of the mentor, you will participate in research investigating the use of entomopathogenic fungi for protection of plants against invertebrate pests, including the invasive beetle (emerald ash borer) and nematode (soybean and potato cyst nematodes) pests. A major focus of this project is investigating the role of microbial metabolites and toxins in antagonism of invertebrate pests and developing methods for formulating fungal and bacterial consortia for biocontrol. Training will be provided in sterile culturing of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) and isolation of microbes from environmental samples. Research will also involve functional bioassays and growth chamber experiments to test biocontrol efficacy of fungi and microbial consortia against invertebrate pests and isolation of DNA and RNA for genome and transcriptome sequencing to understand