Paula Parks: Field pathology technician. Managing the Blackleg nursery at the Ian N. Morrison Research Farm, Carman Manitoba. Assisting with greenhouse experiments and with graduate student field experiments.

Rasanie - I am a PhD student. I am working on host pathogen interaction of canola blackleg disease. I am interested in identifying genes associated with host resistance and pathogen virulence using transcriptomic studies. Further, I am studying on a novel chemical tool and a biological tool which could be added to the canola blackleg management toolbox.

Cunchun: Intrinsic interactions in canola-blackleg pathosystem

James Tucker is a Ph.D. candidate (Co-Supervisors: Dr. Dilantha Fernando; Dr. Ana Badea (AAFC BRDC)). His research involves investigation of host-plant resistance in barley to fusarium head blight (Fusarium graminearum). He conducts research through application of modern biotechnological tools (genome-wide molecular SNP markers, RNA-Sequencing). He has investigated deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside (DON-3-G) production in barley genotypes, as a detoxification resistance mechanism.

Justine Cornelsen: Blackleg disease in canola. Working with canola farmers to measure the success of deploying major resistance gene labelled hybrids to match the predominant Leptosphaeria maculans race within their fields.

Sachithrani Kannangara: I am working on two plant diseases. The first one is Fusarium Head Blight disease in wheat. This research aims to detect the presence of Fusarium species diversity and their chemotypes in 2019-2020 growing seasons in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta farmers’ fields. Also, I am evaluating the presence of Fusarium in non-chaff and chaff samples and analyzing the relative fungal abundance in stalks of spring wheat from the same fields.

A growing concern among blackleg researchers is that R-genes are incorrectly identified as not all groups use a standard set of well-characterized isolates. To eliminate this, the Canola Council of Canada has funded Dr. Fernando’s lab to develop a universally acceptable isolate set. Therefore, my second main objective is to develop Leptosphaeria manulans isolates with single Avr genes to identify R-genes and novel R-genes.

Arshani Alukumbura: Co-supervised by Matt Bakker (Microbiology): One project is based on the Blackleg disease in Canola. I am working with two mutants Leptosphaeria maculans isolates which causes blackleg disease in Canola plants. These mutants have been developed through CRISPR/Cas9 technology. I am developing a transgenic fungus expressing GFP protein using one mutant L. maculans isolate to observe its infection process in live tissues. The other mutant will be used to find the novel resistance genes present within Canola varieties.

My other project is based on the Fusarium head blight (FHB) disease in wheat. The Trichoderma gamsii is a plant beneficial fungus that can inhibit the growth and mycotoxin production of Fusarium graminearum. I am studying the effect of T. gamsii as a biocontrol agent to reduce the FHB disease in wheat in a field setting and analyze the dynamics of the microbiome present within different plant tissues relevant to FHB disease, in response to T. gamsii application.

Anuradha Jayathissa: Co-supervised by Matt Bakker (Microbiology): I’m studying the impacts of Fusarium traits that relate to malt quality defects, and interactions of Fusarium spp. with other members of the malt microbiome. I’m assessing the capacity of each strain to produce mycotoxins and hydrophobins. We selected a subset of F. graminearum strains that could use to inoculate barley plants, to produce infested barley grain for use in micro-malting experiments. For each micro-malted barley sample, we will profile the malt microbiome, quantify Fusarium population density, and evaluate malt quality parameters.

Also, I’m studying the genetic basis for the deoxynivalenol (DON) transformation of Lentzea by characterizing how Lentzea responds to the presence of DON. For that, I’m using ChIP-seq to identify where RNA polymerase is binding within the Lentzea genome in the presence of vs. absence of DON.

Zhongwei Zou: (Research Associate/Sessional instructor (PLNT4270-Plant Disease Control)

Improving blackleg resistance durability of canola through R gene rotation strategies in commercial fields and a science based plot trials. Functional characterization of Brassica napus genes in response to Leptosphaeria maculans. Avirulent or pathogenicity gene function analysis of Leptosphaeria maculans using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technique. Identification and disease pathogenicity evaluation of Verticillium stripe disease (Verticillium longisporum) in Brassica crops.

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=uGED-twAAAAJ&hl=en

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Zhongwei_Zou

Shuanglong Huang: is a postdoc who has been interested in research to improve plant health. He currently works on management of blackleg on canola through better flea-beetle control and effective fungicide seed treatment, and understanding the underlying mechanism of compatible and incompatible interactions in the Brassica napus - Leptosphaeria maculans pathosystem via integrated approaches.

Fei Liu: I have been working on the interaction between blackleg (Leptosphaeria maculans) disease and Brassica napus. I am interested in the mechanism of lowering the PAMP-triggered immunity by avirulence gene, and have been trying to explore the interaction of Leptosphaeria maculans avirulence gene and defense responses of Brassica napus. Another project was cloning novel resistance gene of Brassica napus to Leptosphaeria maculans using BSR-seq together with map-based cloning. A third project I am working on is analyzing the genome of Verticillium longisporum and probing the possible proof for its resistance to glucosinolates.

Abbot: works on the Fusarium head blight disease and characterizes the population dynamics

My research activity focuses on the characterization (species, chemotypes and mycotoxins), population genetic structure and dynamics of Fusarium head blight (FHB) pathogens in wheat, barley, oat and corn. My work also involves study of key pathogenicity factors in the host-pathogen interactions of Fusarium species and small grain cereals.