USDA-ARS and University of Maryland postdoctoral fellowship in molecular plant pathology
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Job Detail
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Job Description
Position details: A postdoctoral research opportunity is currently available to participate in a joint project between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), within the Genetic Improvement for Fruits and Vegetables Lab located in Beltsville, MD and the Department of Environmental Science and Technology at the University of Maryland in College Park, MD. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to work with research teams at both institutions applying molecular biology and genomic tools to elucidate mechanisms of pathogenicity and developing disease-resistant plant germplasm.
Research Project: Common scab is a major disease of potato and other root and tuber crops caused by several species of Streptomyces bacteria. No classical Resistance genes are available in potato germplasm to generate disease-resistant plants. A single bacteria-produced phytotoxin is responsible for the disease symptoms associated with common scab. The research project involves using plant molecular biology tools including gene editing to alter plant response to the toxin to generate disease resistant germplasm. Additionally, USDA ARS has the largest collection of phytopathogenic Streptomyces in the world and is performing high-throughput gene sequencing of hundreds of diverse isolates to identify genetic signatures associated with pathogenic lineages of the bacteria beyond the phytotoxin biosynthetic genes. The research project will also involve functional genomics and genetic manipulation of Streptomyces bacteria. Funding is available to support travel to research conferences to disseminate project results.