Lewis Lukens, University of Guelph

Research

artificial selection gene regulation genetic mapping plant breeding quantitative genetics RNASeq

Latest papers

Editorial: Integrated omics approaches to accelerate plant improvement.
Frontiers in plant science · 2024
Genetics, not environment, contributed to winter wheat yield gains in Ontario, Canada.
TAG. Theoretical and applied genetics. Theoretische und angewandte Genetik · 2022 · senior author
Patterns of stability and change in the maize genome: a case study of small RNA transcriptomes in two recombinant inbred lines and their progenitors.
Genome · 2022

All 21 publications

Latest funding

Investigating the magnitudes and molecular bases of genetic improvement in cereals
NSERC · 2021 · Principal investigator
$132,000
Investigating novel quantitative genetics approaches in barley genetics
NSERC · 2020 · Principal investigator
$222,000
The role of sRNAs in plant antibody production
NSERC · 2018 · Principal investigator
$25,000

All 14 grants and awards

21 publications.

01

Editorial: Integrated omics approaches to accelerate plant improvement.

Yoosefzadeh Najafabadi M, Lukens L, Costa-Neto G

Frontiers in plant science2024

DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1397582 PMID: 38571715

02

Genetics, not environment, contributed to winter wheat yield gains in Ontario, Canada.

So D, Smith A, Sparry E, Lukens L

TAG. Theoretical and applied genetics. Theoretische und angewandte Genetik2022Senior author

DOI: 10.1007/s00122-022-04082-3 PMID: 35348822

03

Patterns of stability and change in the maize genome: a case study of small RNA transcriptomes in two recombinant inbred lines and their progenitors.

Minow M.A.A., Lukens L., Rossi V., Colasanti J.

Genome2022

DOI: 10.1139/gen-2021-0040 PMID: 34597524

04

Introgressed DNA within a Zea mays near-isogenic line displays lower levels of 24nt sRNA expression than the homologous region from the recurrent parent.

Minow MAA, Ávila LM, Lukens L, Rossi V, Colasanti J

Genome2021

DOI: 10.1139/gen-2021-0007 PMID: 34192470

05

The Induction of the Isoflavone Biosynthesis Pathway Is Associated with Resistance to Common Bacterial Blight in Phaseolus vulgaris L.

Cox LD, Munholland S, Mats L, Zhu H, Crosby WL, Lukens L, Pauls KP, Bozzo GG

Metabolites2021

DOI: 10.3390/metabo11070433 PMID: 34357327

06

The effects of crop attributes, selection, and recombination on Canadian bread wheat molecular variation.

Hargreaves W, N'Daiye A, Walkowiak S, Pozniak CJ, Wiebe K, Enns J, Lukens L

The plant genome2021Senior author

DOI: 10.1002/tpg2.20099 PMID: 34009734

07

Zea mays RNA-seq estimated transcript abundances are strongly affected by read mapping bias.

Zhan S, Griswold C, Lukens L

BMC genomics2021Senior author

DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07577-3 PMID: 33874908

08

Evidence for the Accumulation of Nonsynonymous Mutations and Favorable Pleiotropic Alleles During Wheat Breeding.

Raherison E, Majidi MM, Goessen R, Hughes N, Cuthbert R, Knox R, Lukens L

G3 (Bethesda, Md.)2020Senior author

DOI: 10.1534/g3.120.401269 PMID: 32900902

09

Genomic regions associated with important seed quality traits in food-grade soybeans.

Whiting RM, Torabi S, Lukens L, Eskandari M

BMC plant biology2020

DOI: 10.1186/s12870-020-02681-0 PMID: 33096978

10

Shared and genetically distinct Zea mays transcriptome responses to ongoing and past low temperature exposure.

Avila LM, Obeidat W, Earl H, Niu X, Hargreaves W, Lukens L

BMC genomics2018Senior author

DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-5134-7 PMID: 30342485

Investigating the magnitudes and molecular bases of genetic improvement in cereals

Principal investigatorNSERC2021Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Lukens, Lewis

Keywords: quantitative genetics; rnaseq; genetic mapping; artificial selection; plant breeding; gene regulation

$132,000

Investigating novel quantitative genetics approaches in barley genetics

Principal investigatorNSERC2020Alliance Grants

Principal investigators: Lukens, Lewis LN

$222,000

The role of sRNAs in plant antibody production

Principal investigatorNSERC2018Engage Grants Program

Principal investigators: Lukens, Lewis

$25,000

Discovery and characterization of adaptive genes and regulatory networks in plants

Principal investigatorNSERC2015Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Lukens, Lewis

$190,000

Systematic detection and analysis of gene regulatory evolution in crop plants

Principal investigatorNSERC2013Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Lukens, Lewis

$44,180

Investigating the genetic and physiological bases for cold tolerance in maize

Principal investigatorNSERC2011Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Principal investigators: Lukens, Lewis

$162,450

Physiological and molecular responses of maize and soybean to shade avoidances

Co-investigatorNSERC2011Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Principal investigators: Swanton, Clarence

$300,000

Programmable precision maize planter

Co-investigatorNSERC2009Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Principal investigators: Lee, Elizabeth

$96,402

Investigating the effects of heterosis and stress on the Zea mays epigenome

Principal investigatorNSERC2008Discovery Grants Program - Accelerator Supplements

Principal investigators: Lukens, Lewis

$120,000

Investigating the effects of heterosis and stress on the Zea mays epigenome

Principal investigatorNSERC2008Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Lukens, Lewis

$220,900

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 Agriculture (Guelph)
Molecular and Cellular Biology
Integrative Biology

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

Clarence Swanton

Plant Agriculture (Guelph)

3 shared papers, latest 2016

Joseph Colasanti

Molecular and Cellular Biology

3 shared papers, latest 2022

Elizabeth Lee

Plant Agriculture (Guelph)

2 shared papers, latest 2015

Gale Bozzo

Plant Agriculture (Guelph)

1 shared papers, latest 2016

Istvan Rajcan

Plant Agriculture (Guelph)

1 shared papers, latest 2010

Cortland Griswold

Integrative Biology

1 shared papers, latest 2021

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 2021

Subject: Prospective PhD student: artificial selection Dear Professor Lukens, 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 "Editorial: Integrated omics approaches to accelerate plant improvement." (2024), 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 "Investigating the magnitudes and molecular bases of genetic improvement in cereals" (2021), 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]