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Postgraduate Research Opportunity in Food Technology

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.
A postgraduate research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Environmental Microbial and Food Safety Laboratory (EMFSL) located in Beltsville, Maryland.
This project addresses food safety and quality associated with fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. Key objectives are to 1) investigate the effect of fresh produce chemical compositions on chlorine demand and chemical oxygen demand during wash water reuse, 2) evaluate the effect of fresh-cut produce wash process on pathogen reduction and cross-contamination prevention, and 3) develop, modify and test fresh-cut produce wash system for improved food quality, safety, and process efficiency. Major thrusts are integrating microbiological, chemical, and engineering approaches to improve food quality and safety of fresh and fresh-cut produce.  
Under the guidance of a mentor, the selected participant will play a role on a multi-disciplinary research team. The particular role of the participant can be tailored based on the participant's technical strength. With an engineering strength, the participant will be involved in designing and testing novel food processing equipment and devices for ensuring removal and inactivation of food-borne human pathogens from fresh produce while maintaining quality and shelf life. The participant will acquire basic knowledge of food science and microbiology. With a microbiology strength, the participant will be involved in designing and conducting research studies involving human pathogens (E.coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp, and Listeria monocytogenes) on fresh produce while learning new skills on food processing, and produce post-harvest handling.
This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR), and foreign nationals. Non-U.S. citizen applicants should refer to the Guidelines for Non-U.S. Citizens Details page of the program website for information about the valid immigration statuses that are acceptable for program participation.
For more information about the ARS Research Participation Program, please visit the Program Website.
Qualifications
The qualified candidate should have received a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields.
Preferred skills:
  • Strong knowledge of agricultural and food processing-operations, horticulture, microbiology, and engineering
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Technical skillsWith an engineering background: CAD programs, MATLAB, some background in fluid mechanics and mechanical design
  • With a microbiology background: Strong knowledge and prior research experience handling food-borne human pathogens
If you have questions, send an email to USDA-ARS@orau.org. Please include the reference code for this opportunity (USDA-ARS-2020-0060) in your email.