USDA-ARS Graduate Student Investigating Fusarium Head Blight
Reference code: USDA-ARS-SCINet-2026-406 · Application deadline: January 1, 2027, 3:00 PM Eastern Time
About the role
The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific in-house research agency. Its mission is to find solutions to agricultural problems that affect Americans every day from field to table. This research opportunity is located in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Research Project: Fusarium Head Blight is one of the most devastating diseases of wheat, barley, and other cereal crops, causing economic losses exceeding $1B in epidemic years. This project investigates how Fusarium causes disease by interacting with its hosts and how it produces harmful mycotoxins that accumulate in cereal grains during infection. The work aims to enable new strategies for controlling this disease and reducing mycotoxins in the food supply, increasing the value of cereal crops and enhancing U.S. food security and food safety.
Learning Objectives: Under the guidance of a mentor, you will gain experience in molecular biology, protein biochemistry, plant/fungal genetics, and bioinformatics, as well as collaboration skills.
Mentor: J. Mitch Elmore (mitch.elmore@usda.gov)
Responsibilities
- Design experiments alongside your mentor
- Collect and analyze data
- Collaborate with lab members to achieve project goals
Qualifications
- Currently pursuing a doctoral degree in a relevant field
- U.S. citizenship required
- Disciplines: Life, Health, and Medical Sciences (including Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Botany, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Genetics/Genome Sciences, Microbiology, Plant Sciences)
Schedule
- Part-time appointment
- Initial appointment: one year, renewable upon recommendation of ARS contingent on availability of funds
- Anticipated start date: January 2027 (flexible)
Pay
Monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.
Benefits
- No employment-related benefits (participants do not become employees of USDA, ARS, DOE, or the program administrator)
- Proof of health insurance required for participation; health insurance can be obtained through ORISE
Location
St. Paul, Minnesota