Research Guides

I am responsible for the departmental mass spectrometry research facility which involves management of the mass spectrometry services and its support staff. I am also a lecturer in inorganic chemistry at Hertford College and supervise part II and graduate projects.

My research interests lie in using isotopes, separation science and mass spectrometry to understand the chemistry of cellular and metabolic processes. I have worked on a wide range of applications including identification and quantification of post translational modifications in proteins and compound specific, natural abundance, isotope analysis for archaeological palaeodietary studies and physiological amino acid metabolism.

Current work focuses on developing methods for the isotopic analysis of individual amino acids using liquid chromatography isotope ratio mass spectrometry (LC-IRMS). This, potentially very sensitive approach is proving useful for the identification of chemical relationships within complex molecular processes.

Jean-Philippe Godin and James S. O. McCullagh. Current applications and challenges for liquid chromatography coupled to isotope ratio mass spectrometry (LC/IRMS). Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry. 2011, 25, 3019–3028

Anthony H. Lynch, James S. O. McCullagh, and Robert E. M. Hedges. Liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry measurement of δ13C of amino acids in plant proteins. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry. 2011, 25, 2981–2988.

Lingzhi Gong and James S.O. McCullagh. Analysis of oligonucleotides by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled to negative ion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Journal of Chromatography A, 1218 (2011) 5480-5486.

A.M. Pollard,* P. Ditchfield, J.S.O. McCullagh, T.G. Allen, M. Gibson, C. Boston, S. Clough, N. Marquez-Grant, and R.A. Nicholson. ‘‘These Boots Were Made For Walking’’: The Isotopic Analysis of a C4 Roman Inhumation From Gravesend, Kent, UK. Amercian Journal of Physical Anthropology. (2011): 146:446–456.

Gaye-Siessegger, J., McCullagh J.S.O., Focken, U.The effect of dietary amino acid abundance and isotopic composition on the growth rate, metabolism and tissue d13C of rainbow trout. British Journal of Nutrition (2011), doi:10.1017/S0007114510005696

The 2-Oxoglutarate Dependent Oxygenase JMJD6 Catalyses Oxidation of Lysine Residues to give 5S-Hydroxylysine Residues Monica Mantri, Nikita D. Loik, Refaat B. Hamed, Timothy D. W. Claridge, James S. O. McCullagh, Christopher J. Schofield ChemBioChem, (2011), 12, 531-534.

McCullagh J.S.O, Marom A and Hedges R.E.M. Radiocarbon dating of individual amino acids from archaeological bone collagen. Radiocarbon. vol 52, Nr 2-3, 2010, p 620-634.

Schneider R, Jensen SA, Whitman P, McCullagh JSO, Redfield C and Handford PA. Biophysical Characterisation of Fibulin-5 Proteins Associated with Disease. Journal of Molecular Biology. (2010).

McCullagh J.S.O., (2010) Mixed mode chromatography isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry. (2010) 24; 483-494.

Raghavan, M., McCullagh J.S.O and Hedges R.E.M. Amino acid δ13C analysis of hair keratin using liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry: Palaeodietary implications from intra-individual comparisons with bone collagen. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry. (2010) 24; 541-548.

McCullagh J.S.O. Mass Spectrometry. Chapter 13 in ‘The organic Chemist’s Handbook’ (2nd edition).

McCullagh, J.S.O and Hedges REM. ‘Applied Spectroscopy Handbook’. Invited contribution (Chapter 33: Mass Spectrometry in Archaeology) (In press).

McCullagh J.S.O., Gaye-Siessegger, J., Focken, U. (2008) Determination of underivatized amino acid d13C by liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry for nutritional studies: the effect of dietary non-essential amino acid profile on the isotopic signature of individual amino acids in fish. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry. 22: 1817-1822.

McCullagh J.S.O. (2007) Isotopic Analysis at the Molecular Level: A Frontier in Palaeodietary Reconstruction. In Crossing Frontiers, OUP Monograph, Oxford.

McCullagh J.S.O., Hedges R.E.M and Juchelka, D. (2006) Analysis of amino acids 13C abundance from human and faunal bone collagen using liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Rapid communications in mass spectrometry. 20: 2761-2768.

Tripp, J.A., McCullagh, J.S.O. and Hedges, R.E.M., (2006) Preparative separation of underivatized amino acids for compound-specific stable isotope analysis and radiocarbon dating of hydrolyzed bone collagen. Journal of Separation Science, 29(1), 41-48.

McCullagh, J.S.O., Tripp, J.A. and Hedges, R.E.M., (2005) Carbon isotope analysis of bulk keratin and single amino acids from British and North American hair. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 19(22). 3227-3231.