USDA-ARS Apple Rootstocks Research Internship
*Applications are reviewed on a rolling-basis and this posting could close before the deadline.
ARS Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) at the Plant Genetic Resources Unit located in Geneva, New York.
Research Project: The aim of this project is to provide virus clean (tested) apple rootstock propagules to the U.S. nursery and fruit industry. Under the guidance of a mentor, participant activities will include:
- Propagation of apple rootstocks by means of grafting, micro-grafting, cuttings, micro-cuttings (micropropagation in sterile culture) and maintenance of breeding lines in sterile culture. The project will leverage the micropropagation infrastructure at the Geneva, NY location to establish, maintain and distribute apple rootstock breeding lines by means of micro-cuttings (micro-propagation), softwood cuttings, grafting (including micrografting). This includes the preparation of media, maintenance of material in growth chambers, greenhouse and fields.
- Virus testing of apple rootstock breeding lines and verification of true to type identity. The project aims to provide the cleanest possible material to the apple industry and therefore will enable the testing of apple rootstock breeding lines for presence of deleterious RNA viruses by means of RT-PCR published methods and preparation of RNA-SEQ samples. This will involve extraction of DNA/RNA from apple rootstocks and subsequent detection of viral particles with well established primer pair sets for known viruses that affect apples.
- Evaluation of apple rootstock phenotypes focused on propagation. Ease of propagation is one of the evaluation parameters for apple rootstocks. The project aims to augment the capacity to evaluate the performance of breeding lines for micro-propagation, propagation by softwood cuttings and propagation by traditional stool beds. An outcome of this objective is protocols that work well for specific breeding lines.
Learning Objectives: This opportunity will develop on the ability to propagate woody Malus perennials through soft wood cuttings, and sterile micro-propagation techniques. The participant will be given training and hands on opportunities to develop a virus testing system for apple fruit trees aimed at providing clean apple rootstocks to the U.S. apple nursery and fruit industry at large.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Gennaro Fazio (gennaro.fazio@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: September 1, 2020. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.
Appointment Length: The appointment(s) will initially be for seven months, 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(s) will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.
Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens.
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 USDA-ARS@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.