USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Plant Protein Research

Organization

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

USDA-ARS-MWA-

10/23/2026 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 Peoria, Illinois.

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.

The Functional Foods Research (FFR) unit in Peoria, Illinois aims at developing bioactive food ingredients that provide health benefits; and creating value-added food and nonfood products from low value agricultural resources. Scientists at FFR develop new processing, chemical, physical, and enzymatic technologies to modify food plants and enhance the use and performance of agricultural materials.

The ORISE participant will be a part of a collaborative research initiative focused on the processing and food applications of proteins derived from plant sources such as alfalfa and legumes. Through this appointment, the participant will gain firsthand experience in how interdisciplinary scientific approaches are used to address real-world challenges in the food industry. The participant will collaborate with chemists, material scientists, plant scientists, and food engineers to build a comprehensive understanding of the utilization of oils, proteins, and phytochemicals from major and emerging U.S. crops.

The participant will have access to a state-of-the-art pilot plant for seed and food processing, along with advanced analytical instrumentation such as HPLC, texture analyzers, FT-IR spectrometers, zeta potential and particle size analyzers, differential scanning calorimeters, and supercritical CO₂ extractors. Hands-on training will be provided in the characterization of plant proteins, including assessment of secondary structure, surface charge and hydrophobicity, thermal properties, digestibility, texture profile, and other key techno-functional properties.

Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will learn to: develop and optimize procedures for extracting plant proteins with high purity, improved color, and desirable sensory attributes; conduct analyses of the structural, nutritional, and functional properties of extracted plant proteins; characterize interactions between plant proteins and co-factors, including phenolics and volatile flavor compounds; and evaluate the effects of pre-harvest factors (e.g., light exposure) and post-harvest treatments (e.g., hydrothermal processing) on protein structure and functionality.

The mentor for this opportunity is Zi Teng (zi.teng). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

October 2026. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

The appointment will initially be for one year, but may be renewed upon recommendation of ARS and is contingent on the availability of funds.

The appointment is full time.

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