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2-5 December 2025
The Zou Lab attended Canola Week 2025 in Saskatoon
Zhongwei Zou attended Canola Week 2025 in Saskatoon at the end of the year. The event provided an excellent opportunity to connect and interact with growers, industry partners, government representatives, and scientists. Many productive conversations were held around funding investment, research priorities, return on investment, as well as current challenges and future opportunities in the canola sector.
Taking this opportunity, Dr. Zou also visited the National Research Council – Aquatic and Crop Resource Development Research Centre (Saskatoon), where he had the chance to tour the impressive facilities and learn about ongoing research projects. Several potential collaboration opportunities were discussed, and we look forward to working together to advance canola research and improvement.
7 November 2025
The Zou Lab attended Southwestern Ontario Regional Association of the Canadian Phytopathological Society (SORA-CPS) at Guelph Turfgrass Institute
Our MSc students, Tetiana Borysenko, Sashini Samarakone, Vidushika Madduma Bandara, and Samantha Reis, presented their project progress at the conference. We are thrilled to share that Sashini and Tetiana won 1st and 2nd place for Best Poster Presentation!
Congratulations to all of you for your excellent work and dedication!
24 October 2025
The Zou Lab attended Joint Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of Ontario (ESO) and the Ontario Pest Management Conference (OPMC)
MSc students Tetiana Borysenko, Sashini Samarakone, Vidushika Madduma Bandara, and Samantha Reis presented their project progress at the conference. We had excellent discussions and networking opportunities with other scientists. This event provided a valuable platform to showcase the significance of our research and effectively communicate our findings to a broader scientific audience.
Well done!
26 September 2025
Zou Lab Highlights Integrative Research at the First Laurier Biology Seminar of 2025
The Department of Biology at Laurier hosts a bi-weekly seminar series that highlights the integrative and diverse nature of research conducted within the department. The first seminar of 2025 featured Dr. Zou, who delivered an insightful overview of the exciting research happening in the Zou Lab. The presentation showcased recent findings and ongoing projects led by undergraduate, master’s, and PhD students, emphasizing the collaborative and multidisciplinary spirit of the lab.
This seminar set an exciting tone for the year ahead!
12-14 September 2025
Zou lab attended the First Great Lakes Plant Science conference, Lansing, Michigan.
This conference brought together plant scientists and students to advance the frontiers of plant science, foster collaborations, and empower the next generation of plant science leaders. It is jointly organized by ten universities from the states and provinces surrounding the Great Lakes and is open to participants from around the world.
MSc student Sashini Samarakone presents: 'Exploring Genetic Resistance to Sclerotinia Stem Rot in Canola Through VQ Gene Expression Profiling' and Zhongwei Zou presents: 'Transcriptomic and Enzymatic Profiling of Brassica napus Reveals Antioxidant and Hormonal Responses to Verticillium longisporum Infection'
1-4 September 2025
Zou lab attended the Brassica 2025 conference, Giessen, Germany
It was such a great conference, bringing together scientists in the Brassica community. We had the opportunity to present and discuss our research with a broad audience: “Transcriptomic and Enzymatic Profiling of Brassica napus Reveals Antioxidant and Hormonal Responses to Verticillium longisporum Infection.” Many thanks to my PhD student Ayomi for her hard work on this project. We also explored numerous potential collaboration opportunities worldwide, and I was delighted to reconnect with many excellent researchers, including fellow Tohoku University alumni.
We gratefully acknowledge funding support from NSERC, Mitacs, the Canola Council of Canada, and the Western Grains Research Foundation.
9-12 August 2025
Zou lab attended the Canadian Society of Plant Biologists 2025 Annual General Meeting in Halifax, NS
Ayomi presented her PhD project progress: 'Antioxidant Enzyme Responses and Gene Regulation in Early Interaction Between Brassica napus and Verticillium longisporum'.
Nick gave an oral presentation: 'Investigating BnNAC19's Function as a Negative Regulator in Brassica napus and Verticillium longisporum Interaction'.
Vidushika presented: 'Double Trouble in Canola: Understanding the Interaction Between Verticillium longisporum and Leptosphaeria maculans'.
Sashini showcased her recent work with a poster: 'Exploring Genetic Resistance to Sclerotinia Stem Rot in Canola Through VQ Gene Expression Profiling'.
All did an excellent job and took this great opportunity to share and discuss our research with a wide audience. We gratefully acknowledge funding support from NSERC, Mitacs, the Canola Council of Canada, and the Western Grains Research Foundation.
2 July 2025
I am thrilled to share that our proposal 'Impact of biocontrol agents on rhizosphere microbial community resilience and enhanced pathogen protection of food crops' was funded by OMAFRA (Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative). This project is co-led by Dr. Robin Slawson, in collaboration with Drs. Danve Castroverde and Joel Weadge. We look forward to working on this project and contributing to the protection of our food supply.
20 June 2025
Qiuyu Liang from South China Agricultural University has recently joined the Zou Lab as a Mitacs Globalink Research Intern.
Thanks to the support from the Mitacs Globalink Research Internship (GRI) program, Qiuyu Liang from South China Agricultural University has joined the Zou Lab for a three-month internship. Qiuyu will work on the identification of transgene-free CRISPR canola lines.
Welcome, Qiuyu! We hope you enjoy your stay, life, and research here. Wishing you a productive and memorable experience in the Zou Lab and Canada!
25-31 May 2025
Dr. Zou attended International Symposium on Plant Pathogenic Sclerotiniaceae to discuss our soybean biocontrol project with scientific community.
It was a fantastic conference bringing together the global scientific community working on Sclerotinia, Botrytis, and Monilinia. The symposium offered new insights, opportunities, and potential collaborations that will undoubtedly shape future research in disease management and contribute to securing food production for the growing population.
Thank you to the local organizing committee for a wonderful job. Thanks for my graduate students Samuel Snider and Samuel McKillop, collaborators Drs. Albert Tenuta, Dilantha Fernando, as well as funding support from Grains Farmers of Ontario, and Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative!
26 May 2025
PhD Candidate Ayomi Thilakarathne was awarded George H. Duff Travel Bursaries from the Canadian Society of Plant Biologists (CSPB)
A big thanks for the support from the Canadian Society of Plant Biologists, and Mitacs Accelerate Program. Ayomi will present her thesis project on the investigation of Brassica napus and Verticillium longisporum interaction involved in plant signaling transduction at the upcoming 2025 Annual meeting of CSPB, Halifax.
23 May 2025
Zou lab is excited to congratulate:
Ayomi has successfully passed her PhD proposal defense and qualifying exam
Nick passed his MSc proposal defense in January.
Sashini passed her MSc proposal defense in April.
Vidushika passed her MSc proposal defense in May.
Congratulations on reaching this important milestone!
Huge congratulations to all of you for your hard work and dedication. We’re proud to see our team progressing and reaching new milestone!
9 May 2025
Spring is finally approaching and Zou lab is excited to welcome several new members:
Tetiana Borysenko and Samantha Reis-joining us as MSc students.
Mohsen Shojaei Barjouei- joining as an NSERC USRA student
Payten Saunders joins us as BI495 Directed Studies and volunteer student.
David Heng returns as volunteer student.
Thanks all for joining the team, and look forward to a productive and inspiring season ahead.
31 March 2025
Congratulations on the publication of Ayomi’s review paper in Plants! This is an impressive achievement, especially with the effort of referencing over 600 articles to develop a comprehensive review.
We are incredibly proud of this accomplishment and wish you continued success in research endeavors!
25 February 2025
We are thrilled to share that our lab member, Jules Brent Abbas, has been offered admission to Monash University for the Master’s program in Clinical Embryology in Australia! Jules has been an invaluable part of our lab, working as a volunteer and Research Assistant over the past three terms. His dedication and contributions have significantly supported our research program, assisting both graduate and undergraduate students along the way.
We are incredibly proud of his achievements and wish him all the success in this exciting new endeavor!
25 November 2024
Our current research project 'Expanding BnVQs (Valine-Glutamine) gene family against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in canola' was featured in Western Grain Research Foundation Website. Read More....
1 November 2024
The Zou Lab attended the SORA-CPS meeting at Guelph.
Fall 2024
Thriving for the new projects!
Oct. 2024_Canola Digest
Canola Agronomic Research Program (CARP) projects that commenced in 2024 will investigate management solutions related to blackleg, clubroot, flea beetles, midges, sclerotinia, verticillium stripe and other biotic and abiotic threats. Read More...
23 September 2024
OMAFA recently published a high-level announcement on the last batch (2024) of OAFRI-applied research, pilot and demo and commercialization stream projects. Our proposal 'Optimization of known and well characterized beneficial microbes as biocontrol agents to protect soybean from Sclerotinia sclerotiorum' was funded by OMAFRA (Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative) and Grain Farmers of Ontario.
Read more...
6 September 2024
Vidushika Yapa Mudiyanselage and Aishwarya Samayakone have joined the lab as M.Sc students from September 2024
Congratulations, Vidushika and Sashini! We look forward to your valuable contributions in advancing our understanding of canola-pathogen interactions.
6-10 July 2024
Zou lab attended the Plant Canada Conference in Winnipeg, MB
Thank you Plant Canada 2024 for a fantastic week of conferences, catching up with old friends and making new ones.
PhD student Ayomi Thilakarathne presented her first poster, titled "Decoding Antioxidant Dynamics and Genetic Mechanisms in Early Brassica napus - Verticillium longisporum Interactions." Well done, Ayomi!
Dr. Zhongwei Zou presented "A new model: Functional genes contribute to adult plant resistance from canola-blackleg playbook" in the Disease Resistance section.
Dr. Malini presented "The effect of R gene rotation on mitigation of canola blackleg disease in western Canadian prairies."
Read more...
14 June 2024
Zou lab awarded NSERC Discovery and Supplement Grant.
Thanks to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Wilfrid Laurier University researchers will receive ongoing operating funds toward their long-term research goals. Seven faculty members were successful in NSERC’s Discovery Grants competition for a total of $1.06 million in research funding.
Read more...
7 June 2024
I am thrilled to share that our proposal 'Optimization of known and well characterized beneficial microbes as biocontrol agents to protect soybean from Sclerotinia sclerotiorum' was funded by OMAFRA (Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative) and Grain Farmers of Ontario. Thanks very much for my collaborators Drs. Albert Tenuta and Dilantha Fernando. We look forward to working on it.
7 June 2024
We are glad to receive a Mitacs Accelerate Proposal 'Canola’s new disease: managing Verticillium through genetics, omics, and understanding interactions with the host and other pathogens'. This is a joint program with the University of Manitoba.
In this program, we will train 2 Interns at Wilfrid Laurier University (Ayomi Thilakarathne/PhD student, and Vidushika Bandara/MSc student); and one Post-Doctoral Fellow and one MSc student of the University of Manitoba. We look forward to the success of the project.
3 June 2024
We greatly appreciate the funding for our two CARP projects. Your support is invaluable to our research and helps us advance our work significantly. Thirteen new projects are underway for CARP in 2024.
Canola Agronomic Research Program (CARP) is funded by three provincial prairie canola organizations, Manitoba Canola Growers Association, SaskCanola, and Alberta Canola along with support from the Western Grains Research Foundation.
CARP projects particularly look at the research priorities of canola growers and industry focusing on increasing yield, reducing production risk, and enhancing sustainability.
6 May 2024
Nicholas Archibald has joined the lab as an M.Sc student from May 2024
Congratulations, Nick! We look forward to your valuable contributions in advancing our understanding of canola-pathogen interactions. Wishing you a fulfilling journey in the graduate program.
6 May 2024
Tetiana Borysenko has joined lab as MITACS Globalink Research Internship
Congratulations, Tetiana! We are grateful for the support of the Mitacs Globalink Program. Our sincere appreciation goes to the Mitacs coordinator, the University, the Faculty of Science, and the Department of Biology for their assistance. We look forward to working with you in the Brassica napus - Verticillium longisporum pathosystem. Enjoy the beautiful summer in Canada. More info...
6 May 2024
M.Sc. student Ayomi Thilakarathne transferred to the PhD program.
Congratulations Ayomi on becoming PhD student. Ayomi's thesis project will work in a Mitacs-funded project 'Managing Verticillium stripe in canola through genetics, omics, and understanding the Brassica napus - Verticillium longisporum interaction.'
30 Apr 2024
M.Sc. student Ayomi Thilakarathne was awarded George H. Duff Travel Bursaries from the Canadian Society of Plant Biologists (CSPB)
A big thanks for the support from the Canadian Society of Plant Biologists, and Mitacs Accelerate Program. Ayomi will present her thesis project on the investigation of Brassica napus and Verticillium longisporum interaction involved in plant signaling transduction at the upcoming 2024 Plant Canada Meeting in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
30 Apr 2024
M.Sc. student Ayomi Thilakarathne awarded Mitacs Internship in Accelerate Proposal
Thanks for the strong support from the Mitacs Accelerate Program in collaboration with the University of Manitoba. Ayomi's thesis project will work on 'Managing Verticillium stripe in canola through genetics, omics, and understanding the Brassica napus - Verticillium longisporum interaction.'
30 Apr 2024
BSc student Zoha Kan awarded a Faculty of Science Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) for Summer 2024
We are grateful for the strong support from Faculty of Science, WLU, and NSERC Discover Grant. We look forward to working with you on the project of how biocontrol agents inhibit the growth of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum pathogen.
26 Apr 2024
The Zou Lab is pleased to announce that our two upcoming CARP (Canola Agronomic Research Program) projects have been posted on the SaskCanola website.
We are grateful for the strong support from SaskCanola, the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF), the Canola Council of Canada, and all canola growers. We look forward to working with our collaborators on the projects to improve canola resilience and ultimately benefit growers.
More information:
Project 1: Expanding BnVQs (Valene-Glutamine) gene family against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in canola.
9 Apr 2024
Zou Lab undergrads Nick, Chujun, and Nida successfully completed and showcased their Thesis studies on Canola!
Your hard work and dedication shine through, marking a significant milestone in your academic journey. Congratulations on this achievement! 👏
28 Feb 2024
Canola plants are growing!
22 Feb 2024
Professor Dilantha Fernando from the University of Manitoba made a short visit to my lab.
We had a constructive discussion to explore potential collaborations in crop-pathogen interactions.
12 Dec 2023
12 Dec 2023
ASPIRE certificate offers tools to help graduate students succeed at Laurier and beyond. Read more...
ASPIRE certificate offers tools to help graduate students succeed at Laurier and beyond. Read more...
July 2023
July 2023
The Laurier Faculty of Science Student Association (FOSSA) provides FOSSA Research Assistant Scholarship (RAS) to students at a value of $1,000. Read more...
The Laurier Faculty of Science Student Association (FOSSA) provides FOSSA Research Assistant Scholarship (RAS) to students at a value of $1,000. Read more...
July 2022
Dr. Zhongwei Zou recently attended the Canola Research Camp
The Canola Research Camp is a two-day immersive program that brings researchers across Manitoba to engage with a diverse group of local farmers and farm operations. This program, funded by the Governments of Canada and Manitoba under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership—a federal-provincial-territorial initiative—provides a unique opportunity to build connections with growers.
We extend our gratitude to the organizers for facilitating this invaluable experience. The Canola Research Camp has left an indelible mark, creating unforgettable memories and fostering meaningful connections between researchers and the agricultural community. Read more...
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