Dr Jonathan Griffiths

Recherche et / ou projets en cours

Plant viruses are serious pathogens that can be difficult to study. In my lab, we are using multiple different approaches towards understanding and combating plant viral pathogens. Plum pox virus has been a major issue for stone fruit crops in Ontario for years. We are currently evaluating novel approaches to reduce the impact of this virus including a non-transgenic, topical RNAi approach to either downregulate host genes required for viral replication, or directly targeting this virus to reduce replication and viral load. We are also heavily involved in investigating the role of viruses in Sudden Apple Decline and Tree fruit decline, two disorders that have recently been plaguing tree fruit producers across Canada. We are using traditional surveying and pathology approaches to understand the distribution of major plant viruses in tree fruits. In grapes, we are employing an omics-based approach to understand the distribution and variation of major grape viruses in Ontario, which will be followed up with a reverse genetics approach to understand the function of major viral proteins. We are developing a novel survey approach using commercial pollination services to obtain quicker and cheaper images of plant virus distribution. We are evaluating how to sample honey bees used to pollinate fruit trees to detect plant viruses using an RNAseq approach. Finally, we are actively studying Tomato brown rugose fruit virus and Pepino mosaic virus, two similarly transmitted, yet distantly related tomato pathogens. We are also using a genetic mapping/positional cloning approach to identify sources of resistance to Tomato brown rugose fruit virus.

Énoncés de recherches/projets

Current projects:

-Plant virus surveillance using bees

-Investigating the cause of tree fruit decline

-Development of resistance to Plum pox virus in peach

-Development of resistance to Tomato brown rugose fruit virus

-Genomics of grapevine viruses

Prix et études

Ph.D. UBC Botany, 2013

AgreenSkills post-doctoral Fellowship, Marie Curie Co-fund, 2015-2017

Key publications

  1. Raičević J , Cunningham M, Griffiths JS, Wu L, Pernal, SF, Deckers T, Tran L, Ortega Polo, Zorz J, Clarke K, Newman T, Lansing L, Rott ME, Bilodeau GJ, Bishop C, Jabbari H, Guarna MM (2022) Honey bees as biomonitors of plant pathogens, pesticides, and antimicrobial resistance. EurBee 9 – 9th European Congress of Apidology Proceedings, p. 352, 20-22 September 2022, Belgrade, Serbia. (Poster) https://zenodo.org/record/7239012#.Y4BgMnbMKUk

    2022 - Consulter les détails de la publication

  2. Burlakoti, R. R., Novinscak, A., and Griffiths, J. 2022. Identifying resistance to tomato brown rugose fruit virus. British Columbia Greenhouse Growers’ Association Town Hall Minor Use Meeting. October 14, 2022. Abbotsford, BC, Canada.

    2022 - Consulter les détails de la publication

  3. Burlakoti, R. R. Novinscak, A., and Griffiths, J. 2022. Identification of sources of resistance for tomato brown rugose fruits virus. Poster presented at 2022 Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus Research Symposium, August 17-18, 2022, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

    2022 - Consulter les détails de la publication

  4. Burlakoti R. R., Novinscak A., vanBaar K., and Griifiths J. 2022. Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus-Global Threat to Greenhouse Tomato Production. Annual Symposium of Professional Pest Management Society of BC, February 24-25, 2022, Virtual.

    2022 - Consulter les détails de la publication

  5. Cunningham MM, Tran L, McKee CG, Ortega-Polo R, Newman T, Lansing L, Griffiths JS, Bilodeau GJ, Rott M, Guarna MM. Bee-based environmental biomonitoring of pesticides, pollutants, and pathogens. North America Bee Research Conference. Virtual, Jan 13-14, 2022

    2022 - Consulter les détails de la publication

  6. Gladish DW, Rott ME, Guarna MM, Pernal SF, Griffiths JF, Bilodeau GJ (2022) Evaluation of plant-pollinator ecosystem health and rapid detection of plant and bee pathogens by high-throughput sequencing of European honey bee (Apis mellifera). Tri-Society Virtual Conference: Canadian Phytopathological Society, Canadian Society for Horticultural Science, Canadian Society of Agronomy, 2021, 5-9 July 2021 Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology (in press)
    https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epub/10.1080/07060661.2021.2009254?needAccess=true

    2022 - Consulter les détails de la publication

  7. Cunningham MM, Tran L, McKee C, Ortega Polo R, Newman T, Lansing L, Griffiths JS, Bilodeau GJ, Rott M, Guarna MM (2022) Les abeilles domestiques comme bioindicateurs des contaminants environnementaux, des agents pathogènes et du changement climatique. Ecological Indicators Vol 134, Jan,108457. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.108457

    2022 - Consulter les détails de la publication

  8. Griffiths, J., Ellouze, W. 2021. Rapid Apple Decline research updates. Ontario Apple Growers Annual Report.

    2021 - Consulter les détails de la publication

  9. Cunningham M M, Tran L, McKee C, Newman T, Gladish DW, Lofano AK, Bilodeau GJ, Rott M, Guarna MM (2021). Honey bees as environmental biomonitors of pathogens and contaminants. Entomology 2021, 69th Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America, 31 Oct - 03 Nov, Denver, CO, hybrid meeting proceedings

    2021 - Consulter les détails de la publication

  10. Ellouze, W., Griffiths, J. (2021) AAFC research update on sudden apple decline and fruit tree decline disorders in Ontario. Orchard Network Newsletter, February 2021. p. 16-19.

    2021 - Consulter les détails de la publication

  11. Burlakoti R. and Griffiths J. 2020. Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus research project. BC Greenhouse Growers Association Town Hall Minor Use Meeting, Virtual. November 5, 2020.

    2020 - Consulter les détails de la publication

  12. Griffiths, J., Ellouze, W. (2019) Research activities working towards identifying causes of tree fruit decline. Orchard Network Newsletter, December 2019. p. 6-7.

    2019 - Consulter les détails de la publication

  13. 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 - Consulter les détails de la publication

  14. 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 - Consulter les détails de la publication

  15. Babu, M.R., Griffiths, J.S., et Wang, A.M. (2010). « Isolation and transfection of plant protoplasts for studying infection and replication of plant viruses. », dans Wang, A. (dir.) - Principles and Practice of Advanced Technology in Plant Virology, Research Signpost, Kerala, India, Chapitre 8, p. 141-152.

    2010 - Consulter les détails de la publication

  16. Griffiths, J.S. et Wang, A.M. (2007). « Isolation and Characterization of Arabidopsis Translation Initiation Factors Associated with Plum Pox Virus Infection. », Plant Biology 2007 and Botany 2007 Joint Congress, Hilton Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA, July 7-11, 2007.

    2007 - Consulter les détails de la publication

  17. Wang, A.M., Babu, M.R., Huang, T.-S., Griffiths, J.S., Yi, J., Gagarinova, A.G., et Chen, L. (2007). « Virus-plant interactions: molecular identification of host genes associated with potyvirus infection. », Plant Biology 2007 and Botany 2007 Joint Congress, Hilton Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA, July 7-11, 2007.

    2007 - Consulter les détails de la publication

  18. Raghupathy, M.B., Griffiths, J.S., Stobbs, L.W., Brown, D.C.W., Brandle, J.E., et Wang, A.M. (2006). « Transfection of Arabidopsis protoplast with a Plum pox virus (PPV) infectious clone for studying early molecular events associated with PPV infection. », Journal of Virological Methods, 136(1-2), p. 147-153.

    2006 - Consulter les détails de la publication

  19. Griffiths, J.S., Babu, M.R., et Wang, A.M. (2006). « Analysis of Arabidopsis translation factors in Plum pox virus infection. », 25th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Virology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA, July 15-19, 2006.

    2006 - Consulter les détails de la publication

  20. Raghupathy, M.B., Griffiths, J.S., Stobbs, L.W., Brown, D.C.W., Brandle, J.E., et Wang, A.M. (2006). « A genome-wide microarray study in Arabidopsis: activation and suppression of gene expression in response to plum pox virus infection. », 25th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Virology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA, July 15-19, 2006.

    2006 - Consulter les détails de la publication

Installation de recherche

1391, rue Sandford
London, ON N5V 4T3
Canada

Affiliations

Adjunct Professor, Brock University

Associate Editor, Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology

Language

Anglais
Français