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Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education · 1 month ago

USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Research Opportunity: Development of Novel Vaccines for Poultry Viral Diseases

Athens, GA

Full-time

Onsite

New Grad

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education is offering a postdoctoral research opportunity with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) focused on developing novel vaccines for poultry viral diseases. The role involves working on recombinant Marek's disease virus vaccines, conducting efficacy studies, and gaining hands-on experience in virology and molecular biology.

Government Administration

No H1B

U.S. Citizen Only

Responsibilities

The ORISE participant will be part of the research team learning about developing recombinant Marek's disease virus vaccines to prevent both Marek's disease and other poultry diseases

The project involves the construction of recombinant vaccines using molecularly cloned Marek's disease virus as a vector platform and the evaluation of the efficacy against Marek's disease and targeted poultry disease

The participant will construct the recombinant Marek's disease virus that expresses the foreign antigens

The participant will learn the construction of recombinant avian herpesvirus vaccines, conduct vaccine efficacy studies to develop novel poultry vaccines, including sample collection from animals, execution of viral genome detection, and data analysis

During the fellowship, the participant will acquire the following skills and knowledge through hands-on training: Recovery of Infectious Avian Herpesviruses: The fellow will learn the techniques required to recover infectious avian herpesviruses from DNA transfection processes, gaining a deeper understanding of molecular virology and virus recovery methods

Quantification of Virus Infectivity and Titer: The participant will be trained to accurately quantify virus infectivity and determine viral titers, developing expertise in virological assays and data interpretation

Modification of Cloned Virus Genome: The fellow will gain proficiency in using advanced recombineering technologies to modify cloned virus genomes, learning how to apply genetic engineering techniques for the study and manipulation of viral pathogens

Evaluation of Vaccinal Efficacy: The participant will learn how to evaluate the vaccinal efficacy of Marek's disease virus vector vaccines, including experimental design, data collection, and analysis to assess vaccine performance and effectiveness