USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship - Rapid Detection of Foodborne Pathogens

Research Project

The mission of the CIFP research unit is to investigate multiple areas of safety-related problems associated with contamination of food by bacterial pathogens and includes: stress response, evolution/mutation, biofilm formation, antimicrobial resistance, intervention techniques, and rapid detection & identification. The research project of this subgroup focuses on the latter in the development of rapid, field-deployable detection and/or identification/confirmation methods for specific foodborne pathogenic bacteria (e.g., Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes).

Learning Objectives

• Learn to investigate food safety challenges related to bacterial pathogen contamination in complex food matrices.
• Gain expertise in developing rapid, field-deployable detection and identification methods for major foodborne pathogens such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes.
• Develop skills in bioanalytical chemistry and molecular microbiology applied to food safety diagnostics.
• Learn to design and optimize biosensor-based detection platforms for low-concentration pathogen detection.
• Build competency in BSL-2 laboratory practices, including safe handling and analysis of pathogenic bacteria.
• Gain experience in rapid method development and validation, emphasizing sensitivity, specificity, and practical field application.
• Learn advanced sample preparation techniques for detecting pathogens in complex food systems without reliance on culture enrichment.
• Develop the ability to address analytical challenges associated with detecting low-abundance pathogens amid high background microflora.

Mentor(s)

The mentor for this opportunity is Andrew Gehring (andrew.gehring@usda.gov).

Citizenship Requirements

This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.

Qualifications

• The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a doctoral degree in the relevant fields.
• Degree must have been received within the past one year or is anticipated to be received end of 2026.