Postdoctoral Fellowship in Crop Genetics, Genomics, and Metabolomics at USDA-ARS/Texas A&M Texas A&M University in United States

A postdoctoral fellowship is available through the ORISE program with the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. The position focuses on improving the nutritional quality of crops using advanced genetics, genomics, and metabolomics approaches. Research will be conducted within the Responsive Agricultural Food Systems Research Unit (RAFSRU), which is part of the USDA ARS Human Nutrition National Program. The unit's mission is to prevent and mitigate nutrition-associated chronic diseases through innovations in food and nutrition environments.

Current research projects aim to increase nutritional qualities in grain, fruit, vegetable, and tree crops by analyzing phytochemicals (such as polyphenols) and micronutrients (including iron and zinc) using multi-omics and molecular biology techniques. The fellow will collaborate with USDA and university principal investigators to examine genetic and environmental contributions to nutrient accumulation, utilizing conventional breeding and targeted genetic approaches for biofortification.

Under the mentorship of Dr. Tim Paape, the postdoctoral fellow will develop hypotheses and experimental studies to quantify phytonutrient accumulation in edible crop parts and use genomic tools to understand the genetic basis and gene regulation underlying nutrient accumulation. Training will include advanced molecular techniques such as cloning, gene editing (CRISPR), plant transformation, and knock-out mutations, as well as statistical and molecular methods like single cell and spatial transcriptomics and spatial metabolomics in crop tissues.

Applicants must have a doctoral degree in a relevant field received within the past five years and be U.S. citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents. Preferred qualifications include experience in crop experiment design, metabolomics, ionomics, transcriptomics data analysis, quantitative genetics, genome-wide association studies, greenhouse/field crop growth, and basic molecular biology techniques. All application documents must be in English or officially translated.

The fellowship offers a stipend of $68,000–$75,000 per year, with health insurance required and available through ORISE. The appointment is full-time, initially for one year, and may be renewed based on performance and funding. The anticipated start date is November 2025, but is flexible. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, with a final deadline of November 21, 2025.

To apply, candidates should submit their application via the Zintellect portal, including transcripts, CV, recommendations, and an abstract or article reprint. For questions about the research, contact Dr. Tim Paape at [email protected]. For application process inquiries, email [email protected] and include the reference code USDA-ARS-PA-2025-0135.