John D. Laurie, Ph.D.

Research Scientist - Enabling Technologies

Molecular biology

RNAi

Genome editing

Cereals

Plant reproduction

Plant tissue culture

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

5403-1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, Alberta

Current research and/or projects

Principal Investigator together with André Laroche (Co-Lead). Title “Circadian clock editing to increase wheat yield.” CAP – International Wheat Yield Partnership. 2019-2023
Principal Investigator. Title “Nanocarrier technology for the next generation of cereal seed treatments.” AI, AWC, SWDC. 2019-2022

Principal Investigator. Title “Precision breeding in wheat mediated by engineered haploid inducers.” AAF, AWC, SWDC. 2018-2021

Principal Investigator. Title “A Comparative Genomics Approach to Improve Doubled Haploid Breeding for Common and Durum Wheat.” AAF, AWC, SWDC. 2018-2021

Co-Investigator. Title “Stomata signalling pathways for increasing yield potential in wheat.” CAP – International Wheat Yield Partnership. 2019-2023

Co-Investigator. Title “Breeding malting and food barley cultivars for western Canada.” ASC-11 Barley Cluster Activity#3. 2018-2023

Co-Investigator. Title “Unraveling the molecular mechanisms behind abiotic stress tolerance in Medicago sativa and adoption of advanced molecular breeding technology for alfalfa improvement.” AAFC Abase. 2018-2021

Co-Investigator. Title: “Elucidating and exploiting rhizosphere processes for improved soil health and productivity.” AAFC Abase. 2018-2021

Co-Investigator. Title “Upcycling a defeated disease resistance R gene of wheat.” Alberta Funding Consortium. 2019-2022

Professional activities / interests

Agriculture › Biotechnologie

Sciences › Recherche scientifique

Technologie › Biologie moléculaire

Education and awards

Ph.D., Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
M.Sc., Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
B.Sc., Botany, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

International experience and/or work

2015 – 2017, Research Associate: Plant Epigenetics, University of Cambridge. U.K.
2012 – 2015, Senior Research Associate: Plant Epigenetics, University of Nebraska, U.S.A.
2008 – 2012, Post-Doctoral Fellow: Maize seed development, University of Arizona, U.S.A.

Key publications

Laurie JD, Laroche A. 2021. The circadian clock in the time of changing climate: Using biotechnology to accelerate wheat adaptation. Alberta Project Leads Science Conversations Series – Climate Change Focus. February 10, 2021.
2021 - View publication details
M. Frick, G.T. Araujo, K. Fujita, D. Van Essen, C. Harvey, J.D. Laurie, R.J. Graf and A. Laroche. 2021. Remodeling the functionality of the stripe rust resistance gene Yr10 against current virulent fungal isolates. UBC-STEM Appreciation Night, January 21, 2021.
2021 - View publication details
2021
2021 - View publication details
Smith MB, Ryabova D, Roy S, Tricker P, Lawson T, Laurie J, Laroche A,*Foroud NA. Cloning a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase YODA from Triticum aestivum for transgenic expression in wheat. 41st Annual Meeting of the Plant Pathology Society of Alberta. On-line meeting, November 4-5, 2020. (Poster Presentation)
2020 - View publication details
Bilichak A., Luu J., Jiang F., Laurie J. (2020) Delivery of Cas9/sgRNA RNP into Wheat Microspores Using Synthetic CPP for Genome Editing and Gene Expression Modulation. In: Islam M.T., Bhowmik P.K., Molla K.A. (eds) CRISPR-Cas Methods. Springer Protocols Handbooks. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-0616-2_12
2020 - View publication details
Geddes G. 2020. Research, Review, Repeat: When farmers have questions about how to improve crop quality and yields, researchers can usually help to find the answers. Better Farming May/June Issue p.12-18.
2020 - View publication details
Laroche A, Singer S, Foroud N, Laurie J, Pittman A. 2020. Modern studies in Crop Sciences / Études Contemporaines chez les Grandes Cultures. Lethbridge AgExpo 2020, Lethbridge, AB, February 26-28, 2020.
2020 - View publication details
Bilichak A., Gaudet D., Laurie J. (2020) Emerging Genome Engineering Tools in Crop Research and Breeding. In: Vaschetto L. (eds) Cereal Genomics. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2072. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9865-4_14
2019 - View publication details
Ali, S., Laurie, J.D., Linning, R., Cervantes-Chávez, J.A., Gaudet, D., Bakkeren, G. (2014). An Immunity-Triggering Effector from the Barley Smut Fungus Ustilago hordei Resides in an Ustilaginaceae-Specific Cluster Bearing Signs of Transposable Element-Assisted Evolution, 10(7), http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1004223
2014 - View publication details
Laurie, J.D., Linning, R., Wong, P., Bakkeren, G. (2013). Do TE activity and counteracting genome defenses, RNAi and methylation, shape the sex lives of smut fungi?, 8(4), http://dx.doi.org/10.4161/psb.23853
2013 - View publication details
Laurie, J.D., Ali, S., Linning, R., Mannhaupt, G., Wong, P., Güldener, U., Münsterkötter, M., Moore, R., Kahmann, R., Bakkeren, G., Schirawski, J. (2012). Genome comparison of barley and maize smut fungi reveals targeted loss of RNA silencing components and species-specific presence of transposable elements, 24(5), 1733-1745. http://dx.doi.org/10.1105/tpc.112.097261
2012 - View publication details
Bakkeren, G., Ali, S., Laurie, J.D., Cervantes-Chávez, J.A., Song, X., and Linning, R. (2010). "Genetic and genomic studies to understand the molecular basis of sex and pathogenicity in Ustilago species.", XVI Biennial Workshop on the Smuts and Bunts, Lethbridge, AB, Canada, June 14-18, 2010. (Presentation)
2010 - View publication details
Ali, S., Laurie, J.D., Linning, R., and Bakkeren, G. (2009). "Analysis of a genomic region in the barley smut fungus, Ustilago hordei, containing a cluster of predicted secreted proteins and an avirulence function.", 14th International Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, Centre des congrès de Québec, Québec City, QC, Canada, July 19-23, 2009.
2009 - View publication details
Bakkeren, G., Laurie, J.D., and Linning, R. (2008). "Analysis of a gene cluster harbouring an avirulence function in the barley smut fungus, Ustilago hordei.", IVth International Ustilago Meeting, Rauischholzhausen, Germany, August 20-24, 2008. (Presentation)
2008 - View publication details
Laurie, J.D., Linning, R., and Bakkeren, G. (2008). "Hallmarks of RNA silencing are found in the smut fungus Ustilago hordei but not in its close relative Ustilago maydis.", IVth International Ustilago Meeting, Rauischholzhausen, Germany, August 20-24, 2008. (Presentation)
2008 - View publication details
Laurie, J.D., Linning, R., and Bakkeren, G. (2008). "Hallmarks of RNA silencing are found in the smut fungus Ustilago hordei but not in its close relative U. maydis.", Keystone Symposium: RNAi, MicroRNA, and Non-Coding RNA, Whistler, BC, Canada, March 25-30, 2008. (Poster)
2008 - View publication details
Laurie, J.D., Linning, R., Bakkeren, G. (2008). Hallmarks of RNA silencing are found in the smut fungus Ustilago hordei but not in its close relative Ustilago maydis, 53(1), 49-58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00294-007-0165-7
2008 - View publication details
Laurie, J.D., Linning, R., and Bakkeren, G. (2006). "Analysis of a candidate avirulence gene, UhAvr1, from the basidiomycete barley smut pathogen Ustilago hordei.", 12th International Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, Cancun, México, December 14-18, 2005. (Abstract)
2006 - View publication details