Joan
Laur

Plant-water relations and phytotechnologies

Botanist and researcher
Montreal Botanical Garden
joan.laur@umontreal.ca
514-343-2123

RESEARCH TOPICS


My work combines the tools of molecular biology and physiology and focuses on the interaction of plants with their environment. Understanding these plant-environment relationships means learning how to better use plants to face the major environmental challenges of the 21st century. Developing a resilient agriculture that will be able to cope with climate change, reduce the production of greenhouse gases, and clean up the soil, water and air are some of the services that can be provided by plants.

As a phytotechnologist, my objective is to refine our understanding of the natural mechanisms that allow plants to establish themselves in these stressful contexts. The intention is to be able to propose more reliable and efficient

Keywords: Aquaporins • Biological control • Plant molecular physiology • Phytotechnologies • Plant-water relations



STUDENTS AND STAFF


Ph.D. students
Hiba Benmohamed, co-supervision with Pierre-Luc Chagnon
Geoffroy Renaud-Grignon, co-supervision with Michel Labrecque

M.Sc. students
Laurianne Bédard, co-supervision with Jacques Brisson
Émilie Grandmaison
Rachel Parent, co-supervision with Pierre-Luc Chagnon
Nicolas Perrault, co-supervision with Uwe Hacke (University of Alberta)
Laurie St-Fleur, co-supervision with Pierre-Luc Chagnon

Postdocs
Ahmed Jerbi
Vanessa Grenier



  • Stanfield RC, Laur J. 2019. Aquaporins respond to chilling in the phloem by altering protein and mRNA expression. Cells 8(3): 202.
  • Laur J, Ramakrishnan G, Labbé C, Spanu PD, Bélanger RR. 2018. Effectors involved in fungal-fungal interaction lead to a rare phenomenon of hyperbiotrophy in the tritrophic system biocontrol agent-powdery mildew-plant. New Phytologist 217(2): 713–725.
  • Nadeau MN, Laur J, Khasa DP. 2018. Mycorrhizae and Rhizobacteria on Precambrian Rocky Gold Mine Tailings: I. Mine-adapted symbionts promote white spruce health and growth. Frontiers in Plant Science 9:1267.
  • Nadeau MN, Laur J, Khasa DP. 2018. Mycorrhizae and Rhizobacteria on Precambrian Rocky Gold Mine Tailings: II. Mine-adapted symbionts alleviate soil element imbalance for a better nutritional status of white spruce seedlings. Frontiers in Plant Science 9: 1268.
  • Stanfield RC, Hacke UG, Laur J. 2017. Are phloem sieve tubes leaky conduits supported by numerous aquaporins? American Journal of Botany 104: 719–732.
  • Ouelette S et Goyette MH, Labbé C, Laur J, Gaudreau L, Gosselin A, Dorais M, Deshmukh R, Bélanger R. 2017. Silicon transporters and effects of silicon amendments in strawberry under high tunnel and field conditions. Frontiers in Plant Sciences 8: 949.
  • Hacke UG, Laur J. 2016. Xylem refilling – a question of sugar transporters and pH? Plant, Cell & Environment 39: 2347–2349.
  • Hacke UG, LAUR J. 2016. Aquaporins: Channels for the Molecule of Life. eLS Encyclopedia of Life sciences, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. els a0001289.
  • Laur J, Hacke UG. 2014. The role of water channel proteins in facilitating recovery of leaf hydraulic conductance from water stress in Populus trichocarpa. PlosOne 9(11):e111751.
  • Laur J, Hacke UG. 2014. Exploring Picea glauca aquaporins in the context of needle water uptake and xylem refilling. New Phytologist 203: 388–400.
  • Mayr S, Schmidt P, LAUR J, Rosner S, Charra-Vaskou K, Hacke UG. 2014. Uptake of water via branches helps timberline conifers to refill embolized xylem in late winter. Plant Physiology 164: 1731–1740.
  • Laur J, Hacke UG. 2013. Transpirational demand affects aquaporin expression in poplar roots. Journal of Experimental Botany 64: 2283–2293.
  • Almeida-Rodriguez AM, Hacke UG, LAUR J. 2011. Influence of evaporative demand on aquaporin expression and root hydraulics of hybrid poplar. Plant, Cell & Environment 34: 1318–1331.
  • Navarro M, Ayax C, Martinez Y, Laur J, El Kayal W, Marque C, Teulières C. 2011. Two EguCBF1 genes overexpressed in Eucalyptus display a different impact on stress tolerance and plant development. Plant Biotechnology Journal 9: 50–63.