USDA-ARS Characterization of Cacao Pod Rot Pathogens and Host Responses

Oak Ridge Associated Universities; Mayagüez (PR); On-site; USD 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Oak Ridge Associated Universities is offering a research opportunity with the USDA-ARS Tropical Agriculture Research Station in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. The appointment is full-time for six months and focuses on evaluating cacao pod rot resistance across clones.

Applicants should be pursuing or have completed a bachelor's degree in Life Health and Medical Sciences or Agricultural Sciences, with the potential for extension. A $2,500 monthly stipend applies, with health insurance via ORISE.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field pursued or completed within the last five years or by 6/30/2027.
• Ability to work independently and apply critical thinking to scientific tasks.

Responsibilities

• Assist in evaluating resistance to cacao pod rot across cacao clones.
• Prepare fungal growth media and operate standard lab equipment (autoclaves, sterilizers, centrifuges, homogenizers).
• Identify cacao pod rot symptoms and conduct disease surveys (incidence and severity).
• Participate in field evaluations of disease resistance under natural production conditions.
• Develop molecular-plant-pathology skills including DNA extraction, PCR, and sequence analysis.

Skills

Independence

Critical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree (relevant field)

Job description

Organization

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Reference Code

USDA-ARS-SEA-2026-0422

Application Deadline

1/1/2027 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

Description

• Applications are reviewed on a rolling-basis and applications may 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), located in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Research Project

This project aims to evaluate resistance to cacao pod rot across different cacao clones within the germplasm collection maintained at the USDA-ARS Tropical Agriculture Research Station (TARS). You will gain experience preparing fungal growth media and using standard laboratory equipment such as autoclaves, sterilizers, centrifuges, and homogenizers. You will also learn to identify key symptoms of cacao pod rot, conduct disease surveys (incidence and severity), and help with field evaluations of disease resistance.

Learning Objectives

• Learn to evaluate resistance to cacao pod rot among cacao clones maintained in the USDA-ARS Tropical Agriculture Research Station germplasm collection.
• Gain experience identifying cacao pod rot symptoms and conducting disease surveys that measure incidence and severity.
• Participate in field evaluations of cacao clones to characterize disease resistance under natural production conditions.
• Develop laboratory skills in preparing fungal growth media and operating equipment such as autoclaves, sterilizers, centrifuges, and homogenizers.
• Prepare fungal inoculum and conduct pathogenicity tests on cacao pods.
• Learn methods for inoculating cacao tissues and evaluating pod-rot development under both field and laboratory conditions.
• Build molecular-plant-pathology skills through DNA extraction, PCR amplification, and fungal-sequence analysis.
• Strengthen understanding of plant-pathogen interactions, disease-resistance screening, and experimental approaches for managing cacao diseases.

Mentor(s)

The mentor for this opportunity is Luz Serrato-Diaz ([e-mail]). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date

January 2027. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment Length

The appointment will initially be for six 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.

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

Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process, please email [e-mail] and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a bachelors degree in the one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past five years, or anticipated to be received by 6/30/2027.

Preferred Skills

• Some level of independence and critical thinking.

Stipend

$2,500.00 Monthly

Point of Contact

Janeen

Eligibility Requirements

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Bachelor's Degree received within the last 60 months or anticipated to be received by 6/30/2027 12:00:00 AM.
• Discipline(s):
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences
  • Agricultural Sciences
  • Agriculture
  • Agronomy and Crop Science
  • Biology (General)
  • Botany
  • Cellular and Molecular Biology
  • Ecology
  • Horticulture
  • Microbiology
  • Plant Sciences