EPA Postdoctoral Fellowship on Detection, Fate and Transport of Bacterial Pathogens in Aquatic Environments

*Applications may be reviewed on a rolling-basis and this posting could close before the deadline. Click here for information about the selection process.

EPA Office/Lab and Location: There is a research opportunity available at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development (ORD), Center for Environmental Measurements and Modeling Division (CEMM). The appointment is with the Watershed and Ecosystem Characterization Division (WECD) in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. 

Research Project: A research training opportunity is currently available to evaluate the fate and transport of fecal indicators, pathogens, virulence genes and/or antibiotic resistance genes in aquatic environments impacted by urban or agricultural nonpoint sources.  The overall objective of this research opportunity is to assess exposure of humans to bacterial pathogens in surface waters.  The research participant will conduct studies to understand processes that affect pathogens and/or pathogenic genes and alternative fecal indicator transport from terrestrial environments into freshwater and/or marine coastal environments.  The research participant will be involved in conducting laboratory and field monitoring experiments to support the development of quantitative microbial risk assessments at the watershed scale.  

Under the guidance of a mentor, research activities may include: (1) development of field and laboratory experiments to quantify and detect microbial contaminants in microplastics and other matrices in a variety of aquatic environments including streams, lakes and coastal environments through the use of molecular methods and application of water quality measurements; (2) applying DNA-based microbial source tracking markers to determine the sources of fecal indicator bacteria and fecal pathogens in environmental samples; (3) refining application of dPCR and qPCR assays for identification and quantification of hard to detect microbial contaminants; (4)applying next generation sequencing approaches for identification of microbial communities and pathogen presence; (5)  investigating implementation of new molecular approaches.  The research participant will be responsible for data collection, analysis, presentation of research results, and report and manuscript preparation.

Learning Objectives: This research training opportunity will provide the research participant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to learn and implement state-of-the-art techniques to better understand exposure of humans to microbial pathogens and move forward approaches to evaluate microbial water quality. This research is closely aligned with ongoing field and modeling investigations in pathogen and nutrient transport and will help initiate a new focus on transport and inactivation of pathogens in managed watersheds, including recreational waters.  The research participant will be provided with the opportunity to learn and refine their current knowledge in molecular techniques, next generation sequencing, bioinformatics and/or modeling skills. 

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Marirosa Molina (molina.marirosa@epa.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: November 15, 2023.  All start dates are flexible and vary depending on numerous factors. Click here for detailed information about start dates.

Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year and may be renewed upon EPA recommendation and subject to availability of funding.

Level of Participation: The appointment is full-time or part-time and is negotiable. Those currently pursuing a doctoral degree may begin this appointment part-time and transition to full-time participation upon receiving the degree.

Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend, commensurate with educational level and experience. The estimated yearly stipend range for this opportunity is $71,995 - $86,293. Click here for detailed information about full-time stipends.

EPA Security Clearance: Completion of a successful background investigation by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is required for an applicant to be on-boarded at EPA.

ORISE Information: 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 EPA. Participants do not become employees of EPA, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.

ORISE offers all ORISE EPA graduate students and Postdocs a free 5 year membership to the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA).

The successful applicant(s) will be required to comply with Environmental, Safety and Health (ES&H) requirements of the hosting facility, including but not limited to, COVID-19 requirements (e.g. facial covering, physical distancing, testing, vaccination).

Questions: Please see the FAQ section of our website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process please email ORISE.EPA.ORD@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields, or be currently pursuing the degree with completion before the appointment start date. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date.

Preferred skills: 

• Demonstrated education and/or experience in microbiology and/or molecular biology.
• Knowledge of general microbiological techniques including handling of axenic cultures and isolation of environmental microorganisms.
• Experience in DNA extraction and clean-up techniques, performance of ddPCR and qPCR assays (including preparation of standard curves, testing of primer/probe sets and standardization of assays).
• Experience preparing libraries for next generation sequencing analysis and/or knowledge of bioinformatics analysis.
• Knowledge on the use of field equipment such as multiprobe meters, automatic samplers, weather stations, and measurements of water chemistry parameters.
• Excellent oral, written, and electronic communication skills.
• Experience with common computer operation and software usage (e.g., Microsoft Office Professional Suite, including Excel, Word and PowerPoint.) is required.