USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology & Gene Editing

How To Apply

To submit your application, scroll to the bottom of this opportunity and click APPLY.

• An application
• Transcript(s) – For this opportunity, an unofficial transcript or copy of the student academic records printed by the applicant or by academic advisors from internal institution systems may be submitted.  for detailed information about acceptable transcripts.
• A current resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, relevant experiences, and publication list
• Two educational or professional recommendations

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

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U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

USDA-ARS-SEA-

4/10/2026 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

A research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), located in Canal Point, Florida. 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.

This unique opportunity offers hands‑on experience in cutting‑edge sugarcane research, focusing on gene editing and molecular breeding techniques. While flowering in sugarcane is an undesirable trait for Florida farmers, it plays a crucial role in cross‑breeding. Through this learning experience, participants will contribute to innovative research aimed at utilizing gene editing to knock out specific flowering genes in advanced sugarcane varieties.

These advancements will support breeding efforts and optimize agronomic performance on U.S. farms.

The participant will gain valuable knowledge and skills in areas such as sugarcane gene editing, transformation biotechnology, genetics, genomics, and molecular breeding. Key learning activities include:

• Designing and conducting experiments in plant tissue culture, regeneration, genetic engineering, and genome editing of sugarcane.
• Developing expertise in molecular cloning and large‑scale transformation experiments.
• Creating recombinant DNA constructs, performing plant transformations, and analyzing transformed plants for gene expression.
• Collecting, organising, and conducting preliminary analyses of experimental data.
• Preparing scientific technical reports, documenting research progress, and contributing to publications.
• Learning methodologies and tools for transformation analysis.
• Conducting phenotype trials related to sugarcane genetics and genomics.
• Helping scientists with trials for CP sugarcane breeding and flower synchronization.
• Staying informed about scientific advancements by engaging with literature, attending supervisor‑approved meetings, workshops, and conferences.
• Collaborating across disciplines to integrate functional genomics research into sugarcane breeding.

• Learn methods to conduct transformation of sugarcane,
• Learn genomics, bioinformatic methods to identify and characterise candidate genes of interest,
• Learn methods to conduct induced gene editing of candidate genes of interest, and;
• Develop skills in conducting, writing and presenting research.

The mentor for this opportunity is Aliya Momotaz (aliya.momotaz). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

June 1, 2026. Start date is flexible and will depend on a…