USDA-ARS Evaluation of Coffee Leaf Rust and its Biological Control

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

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance through ORISE

Job summary

Oak Ridge Associated Universities, in collaboration with the USDA ARS, offers a six-month ORISE research opportunity in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico to study coffee leaf rust and biocontrol options. You will gain hands-on lab and field experience in plant pathology and molecular biology under expert mentorship.

This program emphasizes practical skills in disease evaluation, experimental design, and data collection within a real-world agricultural setting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Life Sciences or related field, obtained within the past five years or expected by 6/30/2027.
• Preference for applicants with a bachelor's degree or currently pursuing a master's degree.
• Degree must have been received within the past five years or anticipated by 6/30/2027.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate coffee-variety susceptibility to coffee leaf rust (CLR) caused by Hemileia vastatrix.
• Assess natural fungal biocontrol agents (mycoparasites) for CLR suppression.
• Prepare fungal media and operate standard lab equipment (autoclaves, sterilizers, centrifuges, homogenizers).
• Recognize CLR symptoms and conduct field disease surveys in Puerto Rico coffee farms.
• Develop DNA extraction, PCR amplification, and sequence analysis for CLR pathogens and mycoparasites.

Skills

Plant biology

Microbiology

Plant pathology

Independent thinking

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Life Sciences or related fields

Job description

Organization

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Reference Code

USDA-ARS-SEA-2026-0423

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

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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 Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.

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

This project aims to evaluate the susceptibility of different coffee varieties to coffee leaf rust (CLR) and to assess the potential of natural biocontrol agents (mycoparasites) against Hemileia vastatrix. 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 and signs of CLR, and conduct disease surveys (assessing incidence and severity) across coffee fields in Puerto Rico.

Learning Objectives

• Learn to evaluate coffee-variety susceptibility to coffee leaf rust (CLR) caused by Hemileia vastatrix.
• Gain experience assessing natural fungal biocontrol agents, including mycoparasites, for their potential to suppress CLR.
• Develop laboratory skills in preparing fungal media and operating standard equipment such as autoclaves, sterilizers, centrifuges, and homogenizers.
• Learn to recognize CLR symptoms and signs and conduct field disease surveys measuring disease incidence and severity in Puerto Rican coffee farms.
• Prepare H. vastatrix inoculum and conduct pathogenicity assays using spore suspensions on coffee plants and detached leaf tissues.
• Build molecular-biology skills through DNA extraction, PCR amplification, and sequence analysis of CLR pathogens and associated mycoparasites.
• Gain practical greenhouse and field-management experience, including coffee planting, fertilization, weed management, irrigation, and pesticide application under established protocols.
• Strengthen experimental-design, plant-pathology, data-collection, and disease-management skills relevant to sustainable coffee production.

Through these activities, you will develop or strengthen practical skills in plant pathology, disease evaluation, and plant-pathogen interactions.

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 bachelor's or master's 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.

Preference is placed on applicants with a bachelor's degree or applicants who are currently pursuing a master's degree.

Preferred Skills

• Knowledge of plant biology, microbiology, plant pathology.
• A degree 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 or Master'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
  • Genetics, including Genome Sciences
  • Horticulture
  • Microbiology
  • Plant Sciences