USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Intestinal Immunology: Iowa

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Agency

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Location

Ames, Iowa

Job Category

Post Doctoral Appointments

Salary

TBD

Last Date to Apply

09/30/2021

Website

https://www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/Details/USDA-ARS-2021-0180

Description

*Applications are reviewed on a rolling-basis and this posting could close before the deadline. ARS Office/Lab and Location: A postdoctoral research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) National Animal Disease Center (NADC) located in Ames, Iowa. 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. The vision the agency is to provide global leadership in agricultural discoveries through scientific excellence. Research Project: The Food Safety and Enteric Pathogens Research Unit (FSEPRU) at the National Animal Disease Center (NADC), Ames, IA, ARS National Program 108-Food Safety performs basic and applied research to characterize and employ pre-harvest strategies to control human food-borne pathogens. The long-term objective of this research is to reduce food-borne pathogen (Salmonella) carriage in swine, and develop non-antibiotic intervention strategies to improve intestinal homeostasis and limit the need for antibiotics. The participant will be part of a multi-disciplinary team (immunology/physiology, microbial ecology, and microbiology) to identify and develop approaches to limit colonization of pigs with foodborne Salmonella and evaluate novel intervention strategies. The participant will be involved in swine trials assessing the impact of weaning age or dietary additives on intestinal immune status with an emphasis on single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) and immunohistochemistry to investigate intestinal changes. In addition, the ability to limit Salmonella colonization will be explored. Learning Objectives: - The participant will have the opportunity to learn analysis of scRNA-seq datasets and perform network analysis to identify correlations between beneficial outcomes and immune status. - The participant will also have the opportunity to learn multi-parameter flow cytometry to evaluate porcine immune cell populations. - The participant will be able to participate in workshops on analyzing single-cell transcriptomic data and techniques used to generate the data. - In addition, participation in research meetings to present findings in both oral and poster presentations will be provided. - The participant will get a better overall understanding of research through attendance of laboratory meetings when lab members share data and writing manuscripts on their respective project. Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Crystal Loving ([email protected]). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s). Anticipated Appointment Start Date: September/October 2021. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors. 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: The appointment is full-time. Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only. ORISE Information: This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and ARS. Participants do not become employees of USDA, ARS, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE. Questions: Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process please email [email protected] and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields, or be currently pursuing the degree with completion by the end of September 2021. Degree must have been received within the past five years. Preferred skills: - Experience with animal trials, including isolation of tissues and cells for immune analysis - Basic understanding of microbiota-host interactions that may impact host immune status, with an emphasis on the gastrointestinal tract - Experience with RNA extraction and analysis of host transcriptomic data

Contact Person

[email protected]

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