Aiming Wang, Ph.D

Image Aiming Wang
Research Scientist

My research program is directed to study the viral pathogens that threaten crop production in Canada. Extensive research has been done to identify the viral pathogens that cause devastating diseases on soybean, cereals, field horticultural crops, and greenhouse vegetables, and to better understand the infection process of the identified major viruses. Much of the research has also been concentrated on the development of genetic resistance, vaccines, and other novel technologies to control them.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
London Research and Development Centre

Current research and/or projects

  • Development of genetic resistance to plum pox virus (PPV) in Prunus
  • Development of gentic resistance to soybean mosaic virus in soybean using genome editing technology
  • Molecular characterization of viral pathogens on horticultural crops such as greenhouse vegetables, strawberries and cherry/apple trees, and development of IPM-based strategies to control them
  • Better understanding of the virus infection process and molecular virus-host interactions for the development of novle antivral technologies.

Research and/or project statements

  • Identification of novel host factors required for virus infection
  • Identification of novel functional roles of virus-encoded proteins 
  • Novel discoveries in the co-evolutionary arms race between viruses and plant hosts
  • Identification of newly emerging viruses infecting greenhouse vegetables and field crops in Canada

Professional activities / interests

  • Understanding of molecular virus-plant interactions and virus genome expression and replication mechanism
  • Molecular isolation of host factors and natural resistance genes
  • Development of novel antiviral strategies through biotechnology and beneficial uses of plant viruses
  • Training PhD students and postdoctoral scientists

Education and awards

PhD, the University of British Columbia in 1999

Gold Harvest (Innovation and Excellence), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in 2010

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, Government of Canada in 2013

Outstanding Research Award, the Canadian Phytopathological Society in 2019

Ruth Allen Award, the American Phytopathological Society in 2019

International experience and/or work

Collaborative research being carried out with colleagues in China, the United States, Spain and France

Key publications

  1. Griffiths, J., Lofano, A., Ellouze, W., Wang, A. (2019) Apple and apricot decline in Ontario. Plant Canada 2019, July 7-10. University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

    2019 - View publication details

  2. Towards Development of Next Generation Resistance to Soybean Mosaic Virus. Kangfu Yu and Aiming Wang. Plant Biology Europe 2018, Copenhagen, Denmark. On June 17-21, 2018.

    2018 - View publication details

  3. Wang AM (2018) Virus and Host Plant Interactions. eLS. doi: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0000758.pub3John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net

    2018 - View publication details

  4. Park, S.H., Elhiti, M., Wang, H., Xu, A., Brown, D., Wang, A. (2017). Adventitious root formation of in vitro peach shoots is regulated by auxin and ethylene, 226 250-260. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2017.08.053

    2017 - View publication details

  5. Park, S.H., Li, F., Renaud, J., Shen, W., Li, Y., Guo, L., Cui, H., Sumarah, M., Wang, A. (2017). NbEXPA1, an α-expansin, is plasmodesmata-specific and a novel host factor for potyviral infection, 92(5), 846-861. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/tpj.13723

    2017 - View publication details

  6. T. Bashar, R. Belfrage, J. McNeil, M. Bernards, K. Yu, and A. Wang. 2017.A Study on Soybean Mosaic Virus Transmission via Soybean Seeds. Plant Biology 2017. June 24-28, Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A.

    2017 - View publication details

  7. Chen, H., Adam Arsovski, A., Yu, K., Wang, A. (2017). Deep sequencing leads to the identification of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A as a key element in Rsv1-mediated lethal systemic hypersensitive response to Soybean mosaic virus infection in soybean, 18(3), 391-404. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mpp.12407

    2017 - View publication details

  8. Wylie, S.J., Adams, M., Chalam, C., Kreuze, J., López-Moya, J.J., Ohshima, K., Praveen, S., Rabenstein, F., Stenger, D., Wang, A., Zerbini, F.M. (2017). ICTV virus taxonomy profile: Potyviridae, 98(3), 352-354. http://dx.doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.000740

    2017 - View publication details

  9. Cui, H., Wang, A. (2017). An efficient viral vector for functional genomic studies of Prunus fruit trees and its induced resistance to Plum pox virus via silencing of a host factor gene, 15(3), 344-356. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/pbi.12629

    2017 - View publication details

  10. Cheng, X., Xiong, R., Li, Y., Li, F., Zhou, X., and Wang, A.M. (2017). "Sumoylation of the Turnip mosaic virus RNA polymerase promotes viral infection by counteracting the host NPR1-mediated immune response.", Plant Cell. doi: http:/​/​dx.​doi.​org/​10.​1105/​tpc.​16.​00774

    2017 - View publication details

Contact

Research facility

London Research and Development Centre
1391 Sandford Street
London, ON N5V 4T3
Canada

Expertise

Agriculture›Virology›Molecular plant
Plant›Pathology›Virus
Sciences›Scientific research

Affiliations

  • Adjunct Professor, Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario
  • Senior Editor, Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions (MPMI)
  • Associate Editor, PLoS Pathogenes
  • Editorial Board Member of Journal of Virology, Scientific Reports, Molecular Plant Pathology, Virology, and Soybean Science
  • Lifetime Member, American Society for Virology
  • Full Member, International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
  • Member of International Plum Pox Virus Scientific Committee
  • Memebr of Potyviridae Study Group, International Committee on Taxonomy on Viruses
  • Member of Bromoviridae Study Group, International Committee on Taxonomy on Viruses

Language

English