Dr. Linda J. Harris

Image Linda J. Harris
Research Scientist

Molecular pathologist studying Fusarium infection of cereals

Current research and/or projects

I am applying genomics and molecular biology to understand how the fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum interacts with and infects cereal crops, and to characterize the biosynthesis and regulation of secondary metabolites, especially mycotoxins, of Fusarium species.

Recent publications:

Kebede AZ, Reid LM, Voloaca C, De Schiffart R, Wu J, Woldemariam T, Jindal KK, Zhu X, Bosnich W, Johnston A, Schneiderman D, Harris LJ. 2020. CO476 corn inbred line. Can. J. Plant Sci. Published online: July 15, 2020; DOI: 10.1139/CJPS-2020-0065

Brauer EK, Subramaniam R, Harris LJ. 2020. Regulation and dynamics of gene expression during the life cycle of Fusarium graminearum. Phytopathology, Published online: June 3, 2020; DOI: 10.1094/PHYTO-03-20-0080-IA

Eranthodi A, Schneiderman D, Harris LJ, Witte T, Sproule A, Hermans A, Overy D, Chatterton S, Liu J, Li T, Fundora DGP, Zhao W, Foroud NA. 2020. Enniatin production influences Fusarium avenaceum virulence on potato tubers, but not on durum wheat or peas. Pathogens 9(2), 75; DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9020075

Demissie Z, Witte T, Robinson K, Sproule A, Foote S, Johnston A, Harris LJ, Overy D, Loewen M. 2020. Transcriptomic and exometabolomic profiling reveals antagonistic and defensive modes of Clonostachys rosea action against Fusarium graminearum. MPMI 33:842-858; DOI: 10.1094/MPMI-11-19-0310-R

Xue AG, Chen Y, Seifert K, Guo W, Blackwell BA, Harris LJ, Overy, DP. 2020. Prevalence of Fusarium species causing head blight of spring wheat, barley and oat in Ontario during 2001-2017. Can. J. Plant Pathology 41: 392-402, DOI: 10.1080/07060661.2019.1582560

Research and/or project statements

Durable Fusarium Resistance

Mycotoxin biosynthesis and regulation in Fusarium graminearum

Characterization of new phytotoxic cyclic peptides of Fusarium graminearum

Genomic diversity and mycotoxigenic potential of Fusarium species in Canada

Professional activities / interests

Peer review panelist for EU Horizon 2020, 7th Framework Programme, Austrian Science Fund, USDA/ARS program and the Pathogen Biology & Genetics Research Area Committee of the U.S. Wheat & Barley Scab Initiative (USWBSI).

Conference organization - Chairperson of the National and local organizing committees of the 2009 6th Canadian Workshop on Fusarium Head Blight (CWFHB), member of organizing committees of the 12th European Fusarium Seminar in 2013,  2011 7th CWFHB, and 2012 MycoRed North American Workshop.

Member of Editorial Board of the journal Genes & Genomics

Education and awards

B.Sc. Biochemistry (Chemistry), Simon Fraser University

Ph.D. Genetics, University of British Columbia

International experience and/or work

NSERC Postdoctoral fellow, lab of Dr. Vicki Chandler, University of Oregon

Key publications

  1. Immunogenic determinants of ionophore lipopeptides in plants

    2022 - View publication details

  2. Barley resistance to a membrane‐targeting fungal metabolite from Fusarium

    2022 - View publication details

  3. Islam, M. N., Mourita, T., Oghenekaro, A.O., Kutcher, H. R., Harris, L.J., Overy, D. P., Turkington, T. K., Xu, W., and Wang, X. (2021) Genotyping by sequencing analysis of Fusarium poae field populations affecting small grain cereals in Canada, Tri-Society Virtual Conference, July 5-9 (oral).

    2021 - View publication details

  4. Hudson, K., Harris, L.J., Overy, D. P., Xue, A., Foster, A., Khanal, R. (2021). Pathogenicity of Fusarium graminearum and F. poae Causing Fusarium Head Blight on Barley Under Controlled Conditions. Tri-Society Virtual Conference, Edmonton, AB.

    2021 - View publication details

  5. Geiser, D.M., Al-Hatmi, A.M.S., Aoki, T., Arie, T., Balmas, V., Barnes, I., Bergstrom, G.C., Bhattacharyya, M.K., Blomquist, C.L., Bowden, R.L., Brankovics, B., Brown, D.W., Burgess, L.W., Bushley, K., Busman, M., Cano-Lira, J.F., Carrillo, J.D., Chang, H.X., Chen, C.Y., Chen, W., Chilvers, M., Chulze, S., Coleman, J.J., Cuomo, C.A., Wilhelm de Beer, Z., Sybren de Hoog, G., Castillo-Munera, J.D., Del Ponte, E.M., Dieguez-Uribeondo, J., Pietro, A.D., Edel-Hermann, V., Elmer, W.H., Epstein, L., Eskalen, A., Esposto, M.C., Everts, K.L., Fernandez-Pavıa, S.P., da Silva, G.F., Foroud, N.A., Fourie, G., Frandsen, R.J.N., Freeman, S., Freitag, M., Frenkel, O., Fuller, K.K., Gagkaeva, T., Gardiner, D.M., Glenn, A.E., Gold, S.E., Gordon, T.R., Gregory, N.F., Gryzenhout, M., Guarro, J., Gugino, B.K., Gutierrez, S., Hammond-Kosack, K.E., Harris, L.J., Homa, M., Hong, C.F., Hornok, L., Huang, J.W., Ilkit, M., Jacobs, A., Jacobs, K., Jiang, C., del Mar Jimenez-Gasco, M., Kang, S., Kasson, M.T., Kazan, K., Kennell, J.C., Kim, H.S., Corby Kistler, H., Kuldau, G.A., Kulik, T., Kurzai, O., Laraba, I., Laurence, M.H., Lee, T., Lee, Y.W., Lee, Y.H., Leslie, J.F., Liew, E.C.Y., Lofton, L.W., Logrieco, A.F., Lopez-Berges, M.S., Luque, A.G., Lysøe, E., Ma, L.J., Marra, R.E., Martin, F.N., May, S.R., McCormick, S.P., McGee, C., Meis, J.F., Migheli, Q., Mohamed Nor, N.M.I., Monod, M., Moretti, A., Mostert, D., Mule, G. (2021). Phylogenomic analysis of a 55.1-kb 19-gene dataset resolves a monophyletic fusarium that includes the fusarium solani species complex. Phytopathology, [online] 111(7), 1064-1079. http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-08-20-0330-LE

    2021 - View publication details

  6. Eranthodi A, Witte TE, Sproule A, Hermans A, Overy DP, Schneiderman D, Harris LJ, Chatterton S, Liu J, Li T, Gonzàlez-Peña Fundora D, Zhao W, *Foroud NA. The impact of enniatin production on Fusarium avenaceum virulence in three crop species. 15th European Fusarium Symposium (Virtual Meeting) Ghent, BELGIUM. May 31 - June 1, 2021. (Oral Presentation)

    2021 - View publication details

  7. Islam, M.N., Tabassum, M., Banik, M., Daayf, F., Fernando, W.G.D., Harris, L.J., Sura, S., and Wang, X. (2021) Mycotoxin and Fusarium species genotype and chemotype from Manitoba oat farms (2016 to 2018) - The impact of geographical location and crop rotation. 15 European Fusarium Seminar, May 31 – June 1, Virtual Conference via Zoom (oral).

    2021 - View publication details

  8. Abstract Book of the 9th Canadian Workshop on Fusarium Head Blight & 4th Canadian Wheat Symposium, p. 49-50, https://www.cwfhb-cws.com/hotel-1/

    2019 - View publication details

  9. Nguyen HDT, Grunwald NJ, Abad ZG, Martin FN, Crouch J, Hambleton S, Dettman J, Liu M, Harris LJ, Castlebury L, Salagado-Salazar C, Cowger C, Ellouz O, Mollov D, Fall ML, Ling K, Griffifths J, Mahaffee W, Chen W, Sultata T, Yu Q, Carta LK, Skantar AM, Tambong J, Rogers E, Li S, Dumonceaux TJ, Widmer TL. The 2019 AAFC-USDA meeting on genotyping and monitoring of high-risk plant pathogens.

    2019 - View publication details

  10. Foroud NA, Eranthodi A, Overy DP, Schneiderman D, Harris LJ, Chatterton S, González-Peña Fundora D, Zhao DW. 2019. Enniatin production does not influence Fusarium avenaceum pathogenicity on durum wheat or peas. Plant Canada, Guelph, ON.

    2019 - View publication details

  11. Bahadoor, A., Brauer, E.K., Bosnich, W., Schneiderman, D., Johnston, A., Aubin, Y., Blackwell, B., Melanson, J.E., Harris, L.J. (2018). Gramillin A and B: Cyclic Lipopeptides Identified as the Nonribosomal Biosynthetic Products of Fusarium graminearum. Journal of the American Chemical Society, [online] 140(48), 16783-16791. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jacs.8b10017

    2018 - View publication details

  12. Harris, L.J., Johnston, A., Hermans, A., Sproule, A., Xue, A., Overy, D. Exploring the genetic diversity and mycotoxigenic potential of Canadian Fusarium poae isolates. 9th Can. Workshop on Fusarium Head Blight & 4th Can. Wheat Symp., https://www.cwfhb-cws.com/hotel-1/ Winnipeg, MB, Nov 19-22, 2018. P. 51. Poster.

    2018 - View publication details

  13. Plant Biology 2019 Abstract Book.

    2018 - View publication details

  14. Proceedings of the 14th European Fusarium Seminar, Tulln, Austria, Apr 8-11, 2018, P. 27, Invited talk. https://www.efs14.at/program.php

    2018 - View publication details

  15. Kebede, A.Z., Johnston, A., Schneiderman, D., Bosnich, W., Harris, L.J. (2018). Transcriptome profiling of two maize inbreds with distinct responses to Gibberella ear rot disease to identify candidate resistance genes. BMC Genomics, [online] 19(1), http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12864-018-4513-4

    2018 - View publication details

  16. Vachon, F., Overy, D.P., Hermans, A., Johnston, A., Sproule, A., Xue, A., Harris, L.J. Fusarium poae and emerging mycotoxins associated with fusarium head blight in Canada. Proceedings of 2017 Canadian Phytopathological Society – Eastern Ontario Regional Meeting, Ottawa, ON, Can. J. Plant Pathol. 40:3, 469.

    2017 - View publication details

  17. Subramaniam, G., Ouellet, T., Aboukhaddour, R., Blackwell, B., Fedak, G., Foster, A., Henriquez, M.A., Laroche, A., Larsen, J.; Miller, S., Overy, D., Rampitsch, C., Foroud, N., Schernthaner, J., Harris, L. 2017. Towards Durable Fusarium and Rust Resistance in Cereals. Wheat Science and Business Meeting, Saskatoon, November 8-9, 2017.

    2017 - View publication details

  18. Luo, K., DesRoches, C.L., Johnston, A., Harris, L.J., Zhao, H.Y., Ouellet, T. (2017). Multiple metabolic pathways for metabolism of l-tryptophan in Fusarium graminearum. Canadian Journal of Microbiology, [online] 63(11), 921-927. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjm-2017-0383

    2017 - View publication details

  19. DesRoches, C.-D., Johnston, A., Luo, K., Harris, L.J., Zhao, H.-Y., Ouellet, T. 2017. Effect of L-tryptophan, tryptamine and indole-3 acetaldehyde on gene expression in Fusarium graminearum. GEO accession# GSE100318. deposited in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) of the public database NCBI.

    2017 - View publication details

  20. Harris, L.J., Bahadoor, A., Brauer, E., Bosnich, W., Schneiderman, D., Aubin, Y., Melanson, J., Khan, I., Gleddie, S., Blackwell, B. Novel Fusarium graminearum cyclic peptides possess phytotoxic activity. 29th Fungal Genetics Conference, Pacific Grove, CA, Mar 14-19, 2017. Poster presentation.

    2017 - View publication details