USDA-ARS – Fungal Population Dynamics & Mycotoxin Ecology in Corn

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

USDA-ARS-MWA-

12/4/2026 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 at the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR) 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 Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Unit conducts integrated research to understand and mitigate mycotoxin contamination in U.S. corn production systems.

The research focuses on understanding the population dynamics of fungal communities throughout the growing season and how these dynamics influence mycotoxin contamination in corn.

• Characterizing fungal population structure and succession across key phenological stages of corn.
• Applying molecular and microbiome sequencing approaches (e.g., ITS/TEF amplicon sequencing, qPCR, metagenomics) to track fungal communities.
• Conducting mycotoxin quantification to link fungal ecology with toxin outcomes.
• Conducting field and greenhouse experiments to identify and evaluate the effects of factors that influence mycotoxin risk.
• Integrating computational and statistical tools to model fungal population shifts and identify environmental or biological drivers of mycotoxin risk.
• Collaborating with plant pathologists, microbiologists, chemists, and data scientists to develop predictive insights that support improved food and feed safety.

Under the guidance of a mentor, you will have the opportunity to learn to: (a) utilize field and laboratory methods in plant pathology and fungal ecology; (b) conduct microbiome analysis, bioinformatics, and computational modeling; (b) conduct rapid mycotoxin analysis; (c) prepare scientific communication, and manuscripts; and (d) design field and laboratory experiments that integrate agronomic, microbiome, and ecological datasets

The mentor for this opportunity is Joseph Opoku (joseph.opoku). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

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.

The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The anticipated stipend range is $4,800 - $6,430 monthly.

This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.

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…