Postdoc: Food Safety Microbiology & Risk Modeling

Clay Today; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 52,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Postdoctoral Benefits page

Job summary

The Kovac Laboratory at The Pennsylvania State University invites applications for a Postdoctoral Scholar to lead research preventing cereulide contamination in infant formula and fermentation-derived ingredients. The role covers experimental design, data analysis, mentoring, and communication with collaborators on microbiology, sequencing, and risk assessment.

Responsibilities include developing detection methods for emetic Bacillus cereus, performing large data analyses, and contributing to

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Food Science, Microbiology, Biotechnology, Biological Engineering or closely related field.
• Strong background in food microbiology, microbial ecology, food safety, or related disciplines.
• Experience with bacterial pathogens and standard microbiological techniques.
• Ability to design experiments and conduct research independently.
• Experience analyzing large datasets and applying statistical methods.
• Record of peer-reviewed publications.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Ability to work independently while contributing to multidisciplinary teams.
• Commitment to mentoring and collaborative research.

Responsibilities

• Lead and conduct independent research aligned with project objectives.
• Perform microbiological analyses including isolation, cultivation, enumeration, and characterization of Bacillus cereus group isolates.
• Develop, validate, and optimize culture-based and molecular detection methods for emetic B. cereus.
• Conduct experiments evaluating growth, toxin production, and survival in infant formula and fermentation systems.
• Perform whole genome sequencing and sequence data analyses.
• Coordinate project activities across collaborating institutions and industry partners.

Job description

The Kovac Laboratory at The Pennsylvania State University invites applications for a Postdoctoral Scholar to lead research preventing cereulide contamination in infant formula and fermentation-derived ingredients. The role covers experimental design, data analysis, mentoring, and communication with collaborators on microbiology, sequencing, and risk assessment.

Responsibilities include developing detection methods for emetic Bacillus cereus, performing large data analyses, and contributing to