USDA-ARS Activated Foods Postgraduate Fellowship

Organization
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Reference Code
USDA-ARS-SE-2023-0014
How to Apply

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A complete application consists of:

All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.

Application Deadline
8/4/2023 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone
Description

*Applications are reviewed on a rolling-basis.

ARS Office/Lab and LocationA research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), at the Southern Regional Research Center located in New Orleans.

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 of the agency is to provide global leadership in agricultural discoveries through scientific excellence.

Research ProjectThe participant will perform research pertaining to USDA-ARS Project 6054-41000-107-00D entitled "Nutritional Benefits of Health-Promoting Rice and Value-Added Foods." Objectives of the project include:

1. Apply methods to induce phytoalexins and bioactive compounds (polyphenols and others) in rice, soybean, and sugarcane.

2. Identify phytoalexins in plant extracts utilizing UPLC-MS (Waters QToF).

3. Isolation of individual compounds using analytical HPLC and Preparative HPLC.

Specifically, the activity of the participant will address one sub-objective of the project:

  • Sub-objective 1.3: Production of activated foods from rice for applications in human diets to promote good health.

Learning ObjectivesDevelop methods for the induction of phytoalexins and bioactive compounds in rice for comparison against soybean and sugarcane. Completed, this research will result in food products enriched with bioactive compounds. In addition, individual bioactive compounds will be isolated from treated plant materials to determine biological activities of the components. Several analyses of plant extracts and foods will include: phytoalexin content, polyphenolic components, total phenolics, soluble and insoluble fiber, and starch digestibility.

Participant will learn to run HPLC and other analytical techniques used for the analysis of plant compounds.  Additionally, the participant will use methods to isolate individual compounds for in vitro cell biology experiments. 

Mentor(s)The mentors(s) for this opportunity is Stephen Boue (steve.boue@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 2023.  Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment LengthThe 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 ParticipationThe appointment is full-time.

Participant StipendThe participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.

Citizenship RequirementsThis opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.

ORISE InformationThis 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 ORISE.ARS.Southeast@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received a bachelor's degree in one of the relevant fields. 

Eligibility Requirements
  • Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree.
  • Discipline(s):
    • Chemistry and Materials Sciences (6 )
    • Life Health and Medical Sciences (7 )
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