Fouad Daayf, University of Manitoba

Research

Fungal effectors Fusarium sp.Genomics Plant-pathogen interactions Soilborne plant pathogens Transcriptomics Verticillium sp.

Latest papers

Revealing Diversity in NRPS Gene Clusters Across Six Pathogenic Colletotrichum Species.
Current microbiology · 2025 · senior author
Unveiling molecular mechanisms and candidate genes for goss's bacterial wilt and leaf blight resistance in corn through RNA-Seq analysis.
BMC genomics · 2025 · senior author
"Secreted in Xylem" Genes (SIX Genes): Relationship to the Aggressiveness of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. albedinis.
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025 · senior author

All 35 publications

Latest funding

Adaptation of soilborne pathogens to economic crops in Canada
NSERC · 2023 · Principal investigator
$78,000
Molecular mechanisms of pathogen adaptation to plant defenses
NSERC · 2017 · Principal investigator
$234,000
Mechanisms of fungal pathogens' adaptation to plant defenses
NSERC · 2011 · Principal investigator
$155,000

All 9 grants and awards

35 publications.

01

Revealing Diversity in NRPS Gene Clusters Across Six Pathogenic Colletotrichum Species.

Sayari M, Sharifi-Tehrani M, Shabani L, Dolatabadian A, Daayf F

Current microbiology2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1007/s00284-025-04440-6 PMID: 40974433

02

Unveiling molecular mechanisms and candidate genes for goss's bacterial wilt and leaf blight resistance in corn through RNA-Seq analysis.

Sayari M, Good SV, Trubetskoy D, El-Shetehy M, Dolatabadian A, Soliman A, Kheirodin A, Daayf F

BMC genomics2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1186/s12864-025-11830-4 PMID: 40826009

03

"Secreted in Xylem" Genes (SIX Genes): Relationship to the Aggressiveness of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. albedinis.

Dihazi A, Jouihri Y, Tadlaoui-Ouafi A, Alfeddy MN, El Modafar C, Dihazi H, El Meziane A, Sayari M, Daayf F

Plants (Basel, Switzerland)2025Senior author

DOI: 10.3390/plants14111721 PMID: 40508395

04

Goss's Wilt Resistance in Corn Is Mediated via Salicylic Acid and Programmed Cell Death but Not Jasmonic Acid Pathways.

Shumilak A, El-Shetehy M, Soliman A, Tambong JT, Daayf F

Plants (Basel, Switzerland)2023Senior author

DOI: 10.3390/plants12071475 PMID: 37050101

05

The pangenome of the wheat pathogen Pyrenophora tritici-repentis reveals novel transposons associated with necrotrophic effectors ToxA and ToxB.

Gourlie R, McDonald M, Hafez M, Ortega-Polo R, Low KE, Abbott DW, Strelkov SE, Daayf F, Aboukhaddour R

BMC biology2022

DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01433-w PMID: 36280878

06

Genome-Based Analysis of Verticillium Polyketide Synthase Gene Clusters.

Sayari M, Dolatabadian A, El-Shetehy M, Rehal PK, Daayf F

Biology2022Senior author

DOI: 10.3390/biology11091252 PMID: 36138731

07

Fusarium Root Rot Complex in Soybean: Molecular Characterization, Trichothecene Formation, and Cross-Pathogenicity.

Hafez M, Abdelmagid A, Aboukhaddour R, Adam LR, Daayf F

Phytopathology2021Senior author

DOI: 10.1094/phyto-03-21-0083-r PMID: 33938238

08

NOXA Is Important for Verticillium dahliae's Penetration Ability and Virulence.

Zhu X, Sayari M, Islam MR, Daayf F

Journal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland)2021Senior author

DOI: 10.3390/jof7100814 PMID: 34682235

09

Naturally Occurring Fusarium Species and Mycotoxins in Oat Grains from Manitoba, Canada.

Islam MN, Tabassum M, Banik M, Daayf F, Fernando WGD, Harris LJ, Sura S, Wang X

Toxins2021

DOI: 10.3390/toxins13090670 PMID: 34564673

10

Overexpression of Solanum tuberosum Respiratory Burst Oxidase Homolog A (StRbohA) Promotes Potato Tolerance to Phytophthora infestans.

Soliman A, Adam LR, Rehal PK, Daayf F

Phytopathology2021Senior author

DOI: 10.1094/phyto-10-20-0482-r PMID: 33406852

Adaptation of soilborne pathogens to economic crops in Canada

Principal investigatorNSERC2023Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Daayf, Fouad

Keywords: soilborne plant pathogens; verticillium sp.; fusarium sp.; plant-pathogen interactions; fungal effectors; genomics; transcriptomics

$78,000

Molecular mechanisms of pathogen adaptation to plant defenses

Principal investigatorNSERC2017Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Daayf, Fouad

$234,000

Mechanisms of fungal pathogens' adaptation to plant defenses

Principal investigatorNSERC2011Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Daayf, Fouad

$155,000

Biolistic particle delivery system for gene transformation

Co-investigatorNSERC2007Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Principal investigators: Razem, Fawzi

$33,089

Gel documentation system

Principal investigatorNSERC2007Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Principal investigators: Daayf, Fouad

$24,973

Molecular and biochemical mechanisms of potato defense suppression by P. infestans

Principal investigatorNSERC2006Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Daayf, Fouad

$106,260

Mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions

Principal investigatorNSERC2005Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Daayf, Fouad

$18,000

A quantitative, real-time PCR system for a myriad of uses in plant biology

Co-investigatorNSERC2002Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Principal investigators: Vessey, Kevin

$40,013

Plant defense reactions induced with natural products for an environmentally safe and sustainable control of potato diseases

Principal investigatorNSERC2001Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Daayf, Fouad

$72,000

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Plant Science
Biology
Biological Sciences

Co-authors at University of Manitoba, colored by department. Thicker lines mean more shared papers; select anyone to open their profile and their own map.

Genyi Li

Plant Science

4 shared papers, latest 2019

Sylvie Renault

Biological Sciences

1 shared papers, latest 2020

Abdelali Hannoufa

Biology

1 shared papers, latest 2016

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their NSERC grant from 2023

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Fungal effectors Dear Professor Daayf, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Revealing Diversity in NRPS Gene Clusters Across Six Pathogenic Colletotrichum Species." (2025), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your NSERC-funded project "Adaptation of soilborne pathogens to economic crops in Canada" (2023), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]