FDA Microbiology Fellowship
*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.
A research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment (OARSA) located in Laurel, Maryland.
This project attempts to determine whether there is an increased fitness for a subset of Listeria monocytogenes using a variety of approaches. Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will learn to identify new 4bV isolates and sequence their genome. The participant will also learn to design and perform experiments to determine if subtle growth differences previously observed are linked to the genetic acquisition. As noted above, these experiments will include the development of growth assays to compare deletion and complementation constructs as well as the evaluation of transcriptomic alterations in food relevant conditions, including on foods as well as in conditions reflective of food processing facilities.
A travel/training allowance of $2,500/year and a training allowance of $2,500 will be provided.
Qualifications
The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a master's or doctoral degree in Food Sciences and Technology, or Microbiology. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date.
Preferred skills:
- Experience in proper handling of bacterial cultures and samples
- Familiarity with molecular techniques, ideally including exposure to next generation sequencing or RNA-Sequencing
- Experience specific to Listeria monocytogenes is desirable
- Experience evaluating transcriptomic alterations as a result of environmental or genetic changes
- Adept in basic microbial and molecular techniques, including bacterial culture, PCR, and qPCR, as well as growth assessment and RNA isolation
- Experience with different matrices, such as food, water or soil
This opportunity is available to US citizens only.
If you have questions, send an email to ORISE.FDA.CFSAN@orau.org. Please include the reference code for this opportunity (FDA-CFSAN-2020-0005) in your email.