Professor James De Voss

Head of School

Faculty of Science
j.devoss@uq.edu.au
+61 7 336 54622

Overview

James De Voss received a B. Sc (Hons) in Chemistry and a University Medal from the University of Queensland in 1984. He was a Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 scholar at Cambridge University, where he worked on the biosynthesis of Vitamin B12 with Prof. Sir Alan Battersby. A postdoctoral fellowship, again from the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, allowed him to work with Prof. Craig Townsend at Johns Hopkins University on the mechanism of DNA cleavage caused by the enediyne antibiotic calicheamicin. He was then introduced to the cytochromes P450 by Prof. Paul Ortiz de Montellano with whom he worked while at the University of California, San Francisco. Since returning to the University of Queensland to take up an academic appointment, initially as a Senior lecturer and subsequently as a Reader and then a Professor, he has continued his interest in problems at the interface of chemistry and biology and currently works with a range of bacterial, insect and mammalian P450s, as well as on the biogenesis of insect pheromones and phytochemistry of herbal medicines.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Cambridge
  • Bachelor (Honours) of Science (Advanced), The University of Queensland

Publications

  • Churchman, Luke R., Beckett, James R., Tan, Lendl, Woods, Kyra, Doherty, Daniel Z., Ghith, Amna, Bernhardt, Paul V., Bell, Stephen G., West, Nicholas P. and De Voss, James J. (2024). Synthesis of steroidal inhibitors for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 239 106479, 1-16. doi: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2024.106479

  • Treisman, Maxine, Coe, Laura, Zhao, Yongwei, Sasi, Vishnu Mini, Gullick, Jemma, Hansen, Mathias H., Ly, Aviva, Leichthammer, Victor, Hess, Caroline, Machell, Daniel L., Schittenhelm, Ralf B., Hooper, Joel, Jackson, Colin J., Tailhades, Julien, De Voss, James J. and Cryle, Max J. (2024). An Engineered Biarylitide Cross-Linking P450 from RiPP Biosynthesis Generates Alternative Cyclic Peptides. Organic Letters, 26 (9), 1828-1833. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.3c04366

  • Hansen, Mathias H., Keto, Angus, Treisman, Maxine, Sasi, Vishnu Mini, Coe, Laura, Zhao, Yongwei, Padva, Leo, Hess, Caroline, Leichthammer, Victor, Machell, Daniel L., Schittenhelm, Ralf B., Jackson, Colin J., Tailhades, Julien, Crüsemann, Max, De Voss, James J., Krenske, Elizabeth H. and Cryle, Max J. (2024). Structural Insights into a Side Chain Cross-Linking Biarylitide P450 from RiPP Biosynthesis. ACS Catalysis, 14 (2), 812-826. doi: 10.1021/acscatal.3c05417

View all Publications

Supervision

View all Supervision

Publications

Book Chapter

  • Harbort, Joshua S., De Voss, James J., Stok, Jeanette E., Bell, Stephen G. and Harmer, Jeffrey R. (2017). CW and pulse EPR of cytochrome P450 to determine structure and function. Future directions in metalloprotein and metalloenzyme research. (pp. 103-142) edited by Graeme Hanson and Lawrence Berliner. New York, United States: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-59100-1_5

  • Stok, Jeanette E., Slessor, Kate E., Farlow, Anthony J., Hawkes, David B. and De Voss, James J. (2015). Cytochrome P450cin (CYP176A1). Monooxygenase, Peroxidase and Peroxygenase Properties and Mechanisms of Cytochrome P450. (pp. 319-339) edited by Eugene G. Hrycay and Stelvio M. Bandiera. New York, NY United States: Springer New York LLC. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-16009-2_12

  • Challinor, Victoria L. and de Voss, James J. (2013). Plant steroidal saponins: A focus on open-chain glycosides. Natural Products: Phytochemistry, Botany and Metabolism of Alkaloids, Phenolics and Terpenes. (pp. 3225-3250) edited by Kishan Gopal Ramawat and Jean-Michel Mérillon. Berlin, Germany: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-22144-6_139

  • De Voss, J. and Cryle, M. (2007). Carbon-Carbon Bond Cleavage by P450 Systems. The Ubiquitous Roles of Cytochrome P450 Proteins: Metal Ions in Life Sciences, Volume 3. (pp. 397-435) edited by A. Sigel, H. Sigel and R. Sigel. United Kingdom: Wiley & Sons. doi: 10.1002/9780470028155.ch13

  • Ortiz de Montellano, P.R. and De Voss, J. J. (2005). Substrate oxidation by cytochrome P450 enzymes. Cytochrome P450: Structure, Mechanism and Biochemistry. (pp. 183-245) edited by P. Ortiz de Montellano. New York: Kluwer/Plenum. doi: 10.1007/0-387-27447-2_6

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

Completed Supervision