Research Microbiologist

The incumbent serves as a Research Microbiologist in the Crop Bioprotection (CBP) Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, IL. Research within CBP is directed towards national needs for new biological control agents, processes, and methods for managing pests and diseases of agricultural and public health significance. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­The goal of the incumbent's research is to develop beneficial microbes as crop protection products to control insect pests.

• Conduct innovative research on the discovery, production, stabilization, and formulation of microbial biopesticides for managing arthropod pests and enhancing health of one or more major food crops in the U.S., such as corn, soybean, and wheat.
• Discover microbial biological control agents for arthropod pests in one or more major food crops in the U.S.
• Determine the mode of action of beneficial microbes and improve their efficacy against arthropod pests.
• Optimize the nutritional and environmental conditions for large-scale production and stabilization of microbial biopesticides.
• Develop user-friendly and environmentally stable formulations of microbial biopesticides.
• Determine how environmental variables, agricultural practices, and future climate conditions might impact the stability and efficacy of microbial biopesticides.
• Utilize a combination of entomology, chemical engineering, microbiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, statistics, and bioinformatics approaches to achieve research objectives.
• Analyze, interpret, and communicate research findings in the form of presentations, patents, research reports, and peer-reviewed journal articles.