Dr Anthony James
Faculty of Science,
School of Biology & Environmental Science
Biography
Biography:Dr Anthony James is a Research Fellow in QUT’s Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, working in the Banana Biotechnology Program which combines recent advances in banana genomics and molecular breeding to provide real world solutions to the banana industry both domestically and globally. Anthony has a PhD in plant virology and has worked as a plant pathologist for more than 20 years. A major focus of the Banana Biotechnology Program is the development of disease-resistant bananas, with an emphasis on the fungal disease Fusarium wilt tropical race 4 (TR4) and the virus disease banana bunchy top, caused by banana bunchy top virus. Using bioinformatics and genomics resources, combined with modern biotechnology tools including plant transformation and gene editing, the group aims to develop disease-resistant farmer-preferred cultivars.
Our group also has a strong plant virology program with an interest in plant virus characterisation, development of diagnostic assays and surveying for virus diseases. Projects include a range of important plant crops, including banana, taro, yam, sweet potato and other crop plants.
Personal details
Positions
- Senior Research Fellow - Plant Pathology (Banana Biotechnology Program)
Faculty of Science,
School of Biology & Environmental Science
Keywords
Diagnostics, Plant virus, Disease resistance, Virus characterization, Infectious clones, Plant biotechnology, Plant pathology, Biosecurity, Fusarium wilt, Tropical crops
Research field
Agricultural Biotechnology, Plant Biology
Field of Research code, Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC), 2008
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy (Queensland University of Technology)
- Master of Plant Protection (University of Queensland)
- Bachelor of Applied Science (Honours) (Life Science) (Queensland University of Technology)
- Bachelor of Applied Science (Queensland University of Technology)
Professional memberships and associations
- Australasian Plant Pathology Society
- American Phytopathological Society
Teaching
Anthony teaches in BVB203 Plant Biology and BVB317 Principles of Genomis and Biotechnology
Experience
Professional Experience:
- 2022–Present Research Fellow (Plant Pathology/Plant Biotechnology), Banana Biotechnology Program, Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
- 2020-2022 Research Fellow (Plant Molecular Biology), Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology/University of Crete - Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- 2006-2019 Research Scientist (Plant Pathology/Plant Biotechnology), Banana Biotechnology Program, Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
- 2000–2006 Research Scientist (Plant Pathology and Quarantine), BSES Limited, David North Plant Research Centre, Indooroopilly, QLD, Australia
- 1999–2000 Research Assistant (Quarantine), BSES Limited, David North Plant Research Centre, Indooroopilly, QLD, Australia
- 2003 Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development Program, Yunnan Sugar Research Institute, Yunnan province, P.R. China
Publications
- Dale, J., Harding, R., Khanna, H., James, A., Kleidon, J., Smith, M. & Shekhawat, U. (2020). Banana variety QCAV-4., 35. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/235481
- Dale, J., James, A., Paul, J., Khanna, H., Smith, M., Peraza-Echeverria, S., Garcia-Bastidas, F., Kema, G., Waterhouse, P., Mengersen, K. & Harding, R. (2017). Transgenic Cavendish bananas with resistance to Fusarium wilt tropical race 4. Nature Communications, 8, 1–8. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/114457
- Paul, J., Khanna, H., Kleidon, J., Hoang, P., Geijskes, J., Daniells, J., Zaplin, E., Rosenberg, Y., James, A., Mlalazi, B., Deo, P., Arinaitwe, G., Namanya, P., Becker, D., Tindamanyire, J., Tushemereirwe, W., Harding, R. & Dale, J. (2017). Golden bananas in the field: elevated fruit pro-vitamin A from the expression of a single banana transgene. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 15(4), 520–532. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/100049
- James, A., Paul, J., Souvan, J., Cooper, T., Dale, J., Harding, R. & Deo, P. (2022). Assessment of root-specific promoters in banana and tobacco and identification of a banana TIP2 promoter with strong root activity. Frontiers in Plant Science, 13. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/235757
- James, A., Kidanemariam, D., Hamill, S., Dale, J. & Harding, R. (2021). Infectivity of an Infectious Clone of Banana Streak CA Virus in A-Genome Bananas (Musa acuminata ssp.). Viruses, 13(6). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/211318
- Kryovrysanaki, N., James, A., Tselika, M., Bardani, E. & Kalantidis, K. (2022). RNA silencing pathways in plant development and defense. International Journal of Developmental Biology, 66(1-3), 163–175. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/233651
- Sukal, A., Kidanemariam, D., Dale, J., Harding, R. & James, A. (2019). Assessment and optimization of rolling circle amplification protocols for the detection and characterization of badnaviruses. Virology, 529, 73–80. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/125020
- Kidanemariam, D., Sukal, A., Abraham, A., Njuguna, J., Stomeo, F., Dale, J., James, A. & Harding, R. (2022). Incidence of RNA viruses infecting taro and tannia in East Africa and molecular characterisation of dasheen mosaic virus isolates. Annals of Applied Biology, 180(2), 211–223. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/230101
- Sukal, A., Kidanemariam, D., Dale, J., Harding, R. & James, A. (2018). Characterization of a novel member of the family Caulimoviridae infecting Dioscorea nummularia in the Pacific, which may represent a new genus of dsDNA plant viruses. PLoS One, 13(9), 1–12.
- Kidanemariam, D., Sukal, A., Abraham, A., Stomeo, F., Dale, J., James, A. & Harding, R. (2018). Identification and molecular characterization of Taro bacilliform virus and Taro bacilliform CH virus from East Africa. Plant Pathology, 67(9), 1977–1986. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/151462/
QUT ePrints
For more publications by Anthony, explore their research in QUT ePrints (our digital repository).
Supervision
Completed supervisions (Doctorate)
- Molecular Characterization and Diagnosis of Badnaviruses Infecting Yams in the South Pacific (2018)
- Viruses of Taro and other Edible Aroids in East Africa (2018)
- Assessment of Banana Streak MY virus-based infectious clone vectors in Musa ssp (2017)
- Development of Banana Bunchy Top Virus Resistance in Bananas: RNAi Approach (2016)
- Strategies for Improved Disease Resistance in Micro-propagated Bananas (2013)