USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Research- Detection and Characterization for Foodborne Pathogens

About the Research Opportunity

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.

Research Project

A postdoctoral research opportunity focused on the development of novel detection methods for foodborne pathogenic bacteria is available at the USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Eastern Regional Research Center, Characterization and Interventions for Foodborne Pathogens (CIFP) Research Unit in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania. 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 in this subgroup focuses on the development of rapid, field-deployable detection methods for specific foodborne pathogenic bacteria (e.g., Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes). Analysis is typically complicated by the complex nature of food matrices and the frequent need to detect very low numbers of targeted pathogens amongst relatively high numbers of generally benign background flora. In addition, culture enrichment is expected to be avoided as both increased cost and lengthy analysis times are prohibitive. Specific project activities include the isolation of pathogenic bacteria from foods, employment of gold-standard molecular detection methods such as quantitative polymerase chain reaction to use as a baseline for comparison with novel detection methods, evaluating and troubleshooting new assay designs, and applying omics technologies (e.g., genomics, transcriptomics, etc.) and bioinformatic analyses for the identification of unique targets that can be incorporated into rapid diagnostic testing platforms.

Learning Objectives

During the appointment, you will:

• Learn about food safety research focused on the detection and characterization of foodborne pathogenic bacteria.
• Participate in research developing rapid, field-deployable diagnostic methods for pathogens such as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes.
• Gain experience addressing analytical challenges associated with complex food matrices and low-level pathogen detection in the presence of background microbial flora.
• Learn about the isolation and characterization of pathogenic bacteria from food samples.
• Learn how to apply gold-standard molecular detection techniques, including quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), for comparison and validation of novel diagnostic assays.
• Learn how to evaluate, optimize, and troubleshoot new assay designs to improve sensitivity, specificity, and practical deployment.
• Gain experience with omics technologies and bioinformatic analyses such as genomics and transcriptomics to identify unique molecular targets for rapid diagnostic platforms.
• Develop interdisciplinary skills in microbiology, molecular biology, bioinformatics, and food safety diagnostics.

Mentor

The mentor for this opportunity is Cheryl Armstrong (cheryl.armstrong@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.

Appointment Details

Anticipated Start Date: September 14, 2026 (flexible).

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 Participation: Full time.

Citizenship Requirement: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received or be currently pursuing a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields.

Preferred Skills

• Sterile technique
• BSL2 pathogen handling
• Knowledge of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
• Molarity calculations for solutions
• Food safety sampling techniques
• Rapid method development and validation
• Sample preparation for food safety analysis

Stipend

The participant will receive a monthly stipend of $6,857.