Abdelali (Ali) Hannoufa, Ph.D.

Research Scientist, Adjunct Professor

Research Scientist and Adjunct Professor in Genomics and Biotechnology

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

1391 Sandford Street, London, Ontario

Current research and/or projects

Discovery Research towards crop Improvement
Abiotic stress response in plants
RNAi Trap Plants for Horticulture
Novel Biological for Mitigation of Abiotic Stresses in Forage Legumes and Reduced Methane Emissions by Ruminants
Development of IPM tools using genomic and ecological approaches for the control of insect pests in greenhouses
Improving productivity and persistence of alfalfa under extreme weather events

Education and awards

Ph.D. in Plant Molecular Biology, York University, 1996

M.Sc. in Plant Biochemistry, Concordia University, 1991

Additional links

www4.agr.gc.ca/AAFC-AAC/display-afficher.do?id=1181940065860

Key publications

Subedi U, Burton Hughes K, Dhariwal G, Kader K, Hannoufa A, Acharya S, Singer SD. Mutation of MsSPL8 alleles via CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing leads to superior abiotic stress resiliency and distinct morphological alterations in alfalfa. 1st International Electronic Conference on Plant Science, Dec. 1 – 15, 2020
2020 - View publication details
Feyissa, B.A., Renaud, J., Nasrollahi, V., Kohalmi, S.E., Hannoufa, A. (2020). Transcriptome-IPMS analysis reveals a tissue-dependent miR156/SPL13 regulatory mechanism in alfalfa drought tolerance. BMC Genomics, [online] 21(1), http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12864-020-07118-4
2020 - View publication details
Hanly, A., Karagiannis, J., Lu, Q.S.M., Tian, L., Hannoufa, A. (2020). Characterization of the role of SPL9 in drought stress tolerance in medicago sativa, 21(17), 1-14. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms21176003
2020 - View publication details
Singer SD, Burton Hughes K, Dhariwal GK, Subedi U, Kader K, Hannoufa A, Acharya S. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutation of alfalfa SQUAMOSA PROMOTER-BINDING-LIKE8 alleles leads to distinct morphological alterations. Plant Biology Worldwide Summit 2020, virtual conference, July 27 – 31, 2020
2020 - View publication details
Singer SD, Subedi U, Feyissa BA, Dhariwal GK, Burton Hughes K, Kader K, Hannoufa A, Acharya S. Comparative physiological, biochemical and transcriptomic analyses of Medicago sativa subsp. falcata and subsp. sativa in the context of drought tolerance. Plant Biology Worldwide Summit 2020, virtual conference, July 27 – 31, 2020
2020 - View publication details
Hannoufa A, Feyissa BA, Kohalmi SE (2020) Medicago sativa L (alfalfa) employs molecular physiological strategies to regulate drought response through the miR156-SPL13-DFR module. XXVIII Plant and Animal Genome Conference, San Diego, CA, USA, January 11-15, 2020
2020 - View publication details
Hannoufa A, Feyissa BA, Kohalmi SE (2020) Medicago sativa L (alfalfa) employs molecular physiological strategies to regulate drought response through the miR156-SPL13-DFR module. XXVIII Plant and Animal Genome Conference, San Diego, CA, USA, January 11-15, 2020
2020 - View publication details
Lei, Y., Hannoufa, A., Wang, Y., Christensen, D., Yu, P. (2019). Effects of silencing TT8 and HB12 on in vitro nutrients degradation and VFA production in relation to molecular structures of alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, [online] 99(15), 6850-6858. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.9970
2019 - View publication details
Boukari, N., Jelali, N., Renaud, J.B., Youssef, R.B., Abdelly, C., Hannoufa, A. (2019). Salicylic acid seed priming improves tolerance to salinity, iron deficiency and their combined effect in two ecotypes of Alfalfa. Environmental and Experimental Botany, [online] 167 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2019.103820
2019 - View publication details
Feyissa, B.A., Arshad, M., Gruber, M.Y., Kohalmi, S.E., Hannoufa, A. (2019). The interplay between miR156/SPL13 and DFR/WD40-1 regulate drought tolerance in alfalfa. BMC Plant Biology, [online] 19(1), http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12870-019-2059-5
2019 - View publication details
Hanly, A, Amyot L, Karagiannis J., B.. Hannoufa (2019) Characterization of SPL9 role in drought stress tolerance in Medicago sativa. Plant Canada 2019, Communicating Innovation in Science, Guelph, Ontario, July 7-10, 2019
2019 - View publication details
Feyissa BA, Papadopoulos Y, Kohalmi SE, Hannoufa A (2019) Flooding tolerance is regulated through the MiR156/SPL13 module in Medicago sativa. Plant Canada 2019, Communicating Innovation in Science, Guelph, Ontario, July 7-10, 2019 (student received Plant Canada best presentation award).
2019 - View publication details
Amyot L, McDowell T; Martin S; Renaud J; Gruber M; Hannoufa A (2019) Natural variation in glucosinolate profiles in Camelina sativa and its wild relatives. Plant Canada 2019, Communicating Innovation in Science, Guelph, Ontario, July 7-10, 2019
2019 - View publication details
Lei, Y., Hannoufa, A., Prates, L.L., Christensen, D., Wang, Y., Yu, P. (2019). Silencing TT8 and HB12 Decreased Protein Degradation and Digestion, Microbial Synthesis, and Metabolic Protein in Relation to Molecular Structures of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, [online] 67(28), 7898-7907. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.9b02317
2019 - View publication details
Ben-Abdallah, S., Cáceres, L.A., Wang, Z., Renaud, B.J., Lachâal, M., Karray-Bouraoui, N., Hannoufa, A., Scott, I.M. (2019). Host plant defenses of black (Solanum nigrum L.) and red nightshade (Solanum villosum Mill.) against specialist Solanaceae herbivore Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say). Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology, [online] 101(2), http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/arch.21550
2019 - View publication details
Matthews, C., Arshad, M., Hannoufa, A. (2019). Alfalfa response to heat stress is modulated by microRNA156, 165(4), 830-842. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ppl.12787
2019 - View publication details
Ben-Abdallah, S., Zorrig, W., Amyot, L., Renaud, J., Hannoufa, A., Lachâal, M., Karray-Bouraoui, N. (2019). Potential production of polyphenols, carotenoids and glycoalkaloids in Solanum villosum Mill. under salt stress. Biologia, [online] 74(3), 309-324. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/s11756-018-00166-y
2019 - View publication details
Amyot, L., McDowell, T., Martin, S.L., Renaud, J., Gruber, M.Y., Hannoufa, A. (2019). Assessment of Antinutritional Compounds and Chemotaxonomic Relationships between Camelina sativa and Its Wild Relatives. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, [online] 67(3), 796-806. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.8b04724
2019 - View publication details
Arshad, M., Gruber, M.Y., Hannoufa, A. (2018). Transcriptome analysis of microRNA156 overexpression alfalfa roots under drought stress. Scientific Reports, [online] 8(1), http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-27088-8
2018 - View publication details
Feyissa BA; Arshad M, Kohalmi SE, Hannoufa A (2018) SPL13 and WD40-1 regulate DFR to enhance anthocyanin biosynthesis for stress tolerance in Medicago sativa. Eastern Regional meeting of the Canadian Society of Plant Biologists. November 24, 2018
2018 - View publication details