USDA-ARS Activated Foods Postdoctoral Fellowship

United States Department of Agriculture; New Orleans (LA); On-site; USD 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

USDA Agricultural Research Service in New Orleans is offering a research fellowship focused on nutritional benefits of rice and bioactive compounds. You will conduct analyses of plant extracts, work with UPLC-MS and HPLC, and contribute to sub-objective 1.3 on activated food products for healthier human diets.

Mentors are available for inquiries and the appointment length is one year with renewal potential. The program is administered by ORAU/ORISE; citizenship to the U.S.

Responsibilities

• Induce phytoalexins and other bioactive compounds in rice, soybean, and sugarcane.
• Identify phytoalexins in plant extracts using UPLC-MS.
• Isolate individual compounds for in vitro cell biology studies.

Skills

HPLC operation

UPLC-MS analysis

plant extract analysis

bioactive compounds research

Tools

HPLC

UPLC-MS

Job description

*Applicationsare reviewed on a rolling-basis.

ARSOffice/Lab and Location:

A research opportunityis currently available withthe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), at theSouthern Regional Research Center locatedin 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 Project:

You will contribute to research associated with USDA-ARS Project 6054-41000-107-00D, “Nutritional Benefits of Health-Promoting Rice and Value-Added Foods.” You will assist with studies focused on inducing phytoalexins and other bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, in rice, soybean, and sugarcane. Activities will include identifying phytoalexins in plant extracts using UPLC-MS (Waters QToF) and isolating individual compounds through analytical and preparative HPLC techniques.

Your activities will specifically support Sub-objective 1.3, which focuses on the production of activated food products from rice for applications in human diets that promote health and nutrition.

Learning Objectives:

During this appointment, you will learn methods for inducing phytoalexins and other bioactive compounds in rice and compare these responses with soybean and sugarcane systems to better understand strategies for developing foods enriched with beneficial compounds. You will gain experience analyzing plant extracts and food materials for phytoalexin content, polyphenolic compounds, total phenolics, soluble and insoluble fiber, and starch digestibility. You will also develop technical skills in operating HPLC and related analytical instrumentation for plant compound analysis, as well as methods for isolating individual bioactive compounds for use in in vitro cell biology studies.

Mentor(s):

The mentors(s) forthis opportunity isStephen Boue ([e-mail]). If you have questions about the nature of the research,please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 2026/2027.

Start date is flexible and willdepend on a variety offactors.

Appointment Length:

The appointment will initially be forone year,but may berenewed uponrecommendation of ARSand is contingent on the availability of funds.

Level of Participation:

The appointment is full‑time.

Citizenship Requirements:

This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.

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:

After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process, [e-mail] and include the reference code for this opportunity.