USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship for Chemical Ecology in Insect-Plant-Microbe Interactions

About the role

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers a research opportunity within the Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research Unit at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Hilo, Hawaii. The unit focuses on developing pre- and postharvest technologies and management strategies for invasive pests, enhancing market access, and improving the quality of tropical fruit, vegetable, and ornamental crops.

Research Project

Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will engage in team-based research on the chemical ecology of invasive Tephritid fruit flies. The goal is to understand how plant host, microbial, and food-derived volatiles influence fruit fly ecology, foraging behavior, and reproduction. Research activities include behavioral characterization of odor sources, isolation and identification of behavior-modifying chemical cues, and the development of candidate compounds or blends for fruit fly surveillance or management.

Learning Objectives

• Gain experience in planning research activities, experimental design, data interpretation, and scientific dissemination.
• Exposure to cutting-edge methods in chemical ecology, insect–microbe interactions, and microbial ecology.
• Functional genomics techniques and strengthening scientific writing skills.

Mentor(s)

The mentor for this opportunity is Dong Cha (dong.cha@usda.gov).

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing or having received a doctoral degree in relevant fields such as Entomology, Microbiology, Chemistry, etc.
• Experience with chemical ecology approaches and techniques.
• Experience in insect behavioral research.
• Experience in isolating and identifying behavior-modifying chemical compounds.
• Experience in isolating, identifying, and culturing yeasts and bacteria.
• Experience working with insect antennae, maxillary palps, and associated receptor systems.