Associate Professor Liza Cubeddu
Associate Dean, HDR,
Dean's Unit, School of Science
Associate Professor - Biochemistry,
Medical Sciences
Biography
Liza Cubeddu is a protein biochemist. She uses a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the biological and structural basis of key processes in DNA repair. Liza obtained her B.Tech (Biotech) Hons in 1998 and her PhD in Biological Chemistry in 2002 from Macquarie University, where she worked on proteins that make up the spliceosome. Liza held a Wellcome Trust International Post-doctoral Research Fellowship at the University of St Andrews (UK), where she commenced her work on DNA repair proteins in a model organism. She returned to Australia in 2006 to take up a National Breast Cancer Foundation Fellowship at the University of Sydney where she shifted her research focus to new human DNA repair proteins; this discovery was published in Nature in 2008.
Liza joined the School of Science and Health in August 2011 as a Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry, she was promoted to Associate Professor in the re-structured School of Science in 2019. Liza holds an honorary appointment at the University of Sydney (School of Life and Environmental Sciences).
The DNA Repair research group at Western is a dynamic environment where the main thrust is to understand mechanisms of the DNA damage response and how repair proteins can be developed as useful cancer therapeutics.
Liza has published 42 research papers with an average impact factor>6. She has obtained significant research co-funding with industry in the last 5 years (>$300,000).
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=em04Sz4AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=7005746665
This information has been contributed by Associate Professor Cubeddu.
Qualifications
- PhD Macquarie University
Professional Memberships
- Sydney Protein Group - ASBMB Special Interest Group (1999)
- Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (1999)
Organisational Unit (School / Division)
- Dean's Unit, School of Science
- Medical Sciences
Contact
| Email: | L.Cubeddu@westernsydney.edu.au |
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| Phone: | (02) 9685 9926 |
| Mobile: | |
| Location: | EHA.1.13 Parramatta |
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Teaching
Previous Teaching Areas
- 300817 Molecular Biology, 2020
- 300936 Functional Proteins and Genes, 2020
Publications
Chapters in Books
- El-Kamand, S., Du Plessis, M., Lawson, T., Cubeddu, L. and Gamsjaeger, R. (2021), 'Expression, purification, and solution-state NMR analysis of the two human single-stranded DNA-binding proteins hSSB1 (NABP2/OBFC2B) and hSSB2 (NAPB1/OBFC2A)', Single Stranded DNA Binding Proteins, Humana Press 9781071612897.
Journal Articles
- El-Kamand, S., Adams, M., Matthews, J., Du Plessis, M., Crossett, B., Connolly, A., Breen, N., Dudley, A., Richard, D., Gamsjaeger, R. and Cubeddu, L. (2023), 'The molecular details of a novel phosphorylation-dependent interaction between MRN and the SOSS complex', Protein Science, vol 32, no 10 .
- Mani, G., El-Kamand, S., Wang, B., Baker, D., Ataide, S., Artsimovitch, I., Cubeddu, L. and Gamsjaeger, R. (2023), '[In Press] A structural analysis of the nsp9 protein from the coronavirus MERS CoV reveals a conserved RNA binding interface', Proteins, .
- El-Kamand, S., Du Plessis, M., Breen, N., Johnson, L., Beard, S., Kwan, A., Richard, D., Cubeddu, L. and Gamsjaeger, R. (2022), 'A distinct ssDNA/RNA binding interface in the Nsp9 protein from SARS-CoV-2', Proteins, vol 90, no 1 , pp 176 - 185.
- Boucher, D., Kariawasam, R., Burgess, J., Gimenez, A., Ocampo, T., Ferguson, B., Naqi, A., Walker, G., Bolderson, E., Gamsjaeger, R., O?Byrne, K., Cubeddu, L., Khanna, K. and Richard, D. (2021), 'hSSB2 (NABP1) is required for the recruitment of RPA during the cellular response to DNA UV damage', Scientific Reports, vol 11, no 1 .
- Lawson, T., El-Kamand, S., Boucher, D., Duong, D., Kariawasam, R., Bonvin, A., Richard, D., Gamsjaeger, R. and Cubeddu, L. (2020), 'The structural details of the interaction of single-stranded DNA binding protein hSSB2 (NABP1/OBFC2A) with UV-damaged DNA', Proteins, vol 88, no 2 , pp 319 - 326.
- Jones, C., Wu, M., Cubeddu, L. and Chuck, J. (2020), 'Engaging the online biochemistry student in asynchronous, flexible learning activities', Australian Biochemist, vol 51, no 2 , pp 27 - 28.
- Lawson, T., El-Kamand, S., Kariawasam, R., Richard, D., Cubeddu, L. and Gamsjaeger, R. (2019), 'A structural perspective on the regulation of human single-stranded DNA binding protein 1 (hSSB1, OBFC2B) function in DNA repair', Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal, vol 17 , pp 441 - 446.
- Kariawasam, R., Knight, M., Gamsjaeger, R. and Cubeddu, L. (2018), 'Backbone 1H, 13C and 15N resonance assignments of the OB domain of the single stranded DNA-binding protein hSSB2 (NABP1/OBFC2A) and chemical shift mapping of the DNA-binding interface', Biomolecular NMR Assignments, vol 12, no 1 , pp 107 - 111.
- Croft, L., Bolderson, E., Adams, M., El-Kamand, S., Kariawasam, R., Cubeddu, L., Gamsjaeger, R. and Richard, D. (2018), 'Human single-stranded DNA binding protein 1 (hSSB1, OBFC2B) : a critical component of the DNA damage response', Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology, .
- Morten, M., Gamsjaeger, R., Cubeddu, L., Kariawasam, R., Peregrina, J., Penedo, J. and White, M. (2017), 'High-affinity RNA binding by a hyperthermophilic single-stranded DNA-binding protein', Extremophiles, vol 21, no 2 , pp 369 - 379.
- Ashton, N., Paquet, N., Shirran, S., Bolderson, E., Kariawasam, R., Touma, C., Fallahbaghery, A., Gamsjaeger, R., Cubeddu, L., Botting, C., Pollock, P., O?Byrne, K. and Richard, D. (2017), 'hSSB1 phosphorylation is dynamically regulated by DNA-PK and PPP-family protein phosphatases', DNA Repair, vol 54 , pp 30 - 39.
- Touma, C., Adams, M., Ashton, N., Mizzi, M., El-Kamand, S., Richard, D., Cubeddu, L. and Gamsjaeger, R. (2017), 'A data-driven structural model of hSSB1 (NABP2/OBFC2B) self-oligomerization', Nucleic Acids Research, vol 45, no 14 , pp 8609 - 8620.
- Luo, L., Xue, J., Kwan, A., Gamsjaeger, R., Wielens, J., Kleist, L., Cubeddu, L., Guo, Z., Stow, J., Parker, M., Mackay, J. and Robinson, P. (2016), 'The binding of syndapin SH3 domain to dynamin proline-rich domain involves short and long distance elements', Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol 291, no 18 , pp 9411 - 9424.
- Paquet, N., Adams, M., Ashton, N., Touma, C., Gamsjaeger, R., Cubeddu, L., Leong, V., Beard, S., Bolderson, E., Botting, C., O?Byrne, K. and Richard, D. (2016), 'hSSB1 (NABP2/OBFC2B) is regulated by oxidative stress', Scientific Reports, vol 6 .
- Touma, C., Kariawasam, R., Gimenez, A., Bernardo, R., Ashton, N., Adams, M., Paquet, N., Croll, T., O'Byrne, K., Richard, D., Cubeddu, L. and Gamsjaeger, R. (2016), 'A structural analysis of DNA binding by hSSB1 (NABP2/OBFC2B) in solution', Nucleic Acids Research, vol 44, no 16 , pp 7963 - 7973.
- Touma, C., Kariawasam, R., Gimenez, A., Bernardo, R., Ashton, N., Adams, M., Paquet, N., Croll, T., O'Byrne, K., Richard, D., Cubeddu, L. and Gamsjaeger, R. (2016), 'A structural analysis of DNA binding by hSSB1 (NABP2/OBFC2B) in solution', Nucleic Acids Research, vol 44, no 16 , pp 7963 - 7973.
- Kariawasam, R., Touma, C., Cubeddu, L. and Gamsjaeger, R. (2016), 'Backbone 1H, 13C and 15N resonance assignments of the OB domain of the single stranded DNA-binding protein hSSB1 (NABP2/OBFC2B) and chemical shift mapping of the DNA-binding interface', Biomolecular NMR Assignments, vol 10, no 2 , pp 297 - 300.
- Gamsjaeger, R., Kariawasam, R., Gimenez, A., Touma, C., McIlwain, E., Bernardo, R., Shepherd, N., Ataide, S., Dong, Q., Richard, D., White, M. and Cubeddu, L. (2015), 'The structural basis of DNA binding by the single stranded DNA binding protein from Sulfolobus solfataricus', Biochemical Journal, .
- Shepherd, N., Gamsjaeger, R., Vandevenne, M., Cubeddu, L. and Mackay, J. (2015), 'Site directed nitroxide spin labeling of oligonucleotides for NMR and EPR studies', Tetrahedron, vol 71, no 5 , pp 813 - 819.
- Pandita, R., Chow, T., Udayakumar, D., Bain, A., Cubeddu, L., Hunt, C., Shi, W., Horikoshi, N., Zhao, Y., Wright, W., Khanna, K., Shay, J. and Pandita, T. (2015), 'Single-strand DNA-binding protein SSB1 facilitates TERT recruitment to telomeres and maintains telomere G-overhangs', Cancer Research, vol 75, no 5 , pp 858 - 869.
- Flores, J., Kariawasam, R., Gimenez, A., Helder, S., Cubeddu, L., Gamsjaeger, R. and Ataide, S. (2015), 'Biophysical characterisation and quantification of nucleic acid-protein interactions : EMSA, MST and SPR', Current Protein and Peptide Science, vol 16, no 8 , pp 727 - 734.
- Paquet, N., Adams, M., Leong, V., Ashton, N., Touma, C., Gamsjaeger, R., Cubeddu, L., Beard, S., Burgess, J., Bolderson, E., O?Byrne, K. and Richard, D. (2015), 'hSSB1 (NABP2/ OBFC2B) is required for the repair of 8-oxo-guanine by the hOGG1-mediated base excision repair pathway', Nucleic Acids Research, vol 43, no 18 , pp 8817 - 8829.
- Joseph, S., Kwan, A., Mackay, J., Cubeddu, L. and Matthews, J. (2014), 'Backbone and side-chain assignments of a tethered complex between LMO4 and DEAF-1', Biomolecular NMR Assignments, .
- Gamsjaeger, R., Kariawasam, R., Touma, C., Kwan, A., White, M. and Cubeddu, L. (2014), 'Backbone and side-chain 1H, 13C and 15N resonance assignments of the OB domain of the single stranded DNA binding protein from Sulfolobus solfataricus and chemical shift mapping of the DNA-binding interface', Biomolecular NMR Assignments, .
- Joseph, S., Kwan, A., Stokes, P., Mackay, J., Cubeddu, L. and Matthews, J. (2014), 'The structure of an LIM-only protein 4 (LMO4) and deformed epidermal autoregulatory factor-1 (DEAF1) complex reveals a common mode of binding to LMO4', PLoS One, vol 9, no 10 .
- Gamsjaeger, R., Kariawasam, R., Bang, L., Touma, C., Nguyen, C., Matthews, J., Cubeddu, L. and Mackay, J. (2013), 'Semi-quantitative and quantitative analysis of protein-DNA interactions using steady-state measurements in surface plasmon resonance competition experiments', Analytical Biochemistry, vol 440, no 2 , pp 178 - 185.
- Ashton, N., Bolderson, E., Cubeddu, L., O'Byrne, K. and Richard, D. (2013), 'Human single-stranded DNA binding proteins are essential for maintaining genomic stability', BMC Molecular Biology, vol 14, no 9 , pp 1 - 20.
- Gamsjaeger, R., O'Connell, M., Cubeddu, L., Shepherd, N., Lowry, J., Kwan, A., Vandevenne, M., Swanton, M., Matthews, J. and Mackay, J. (2013), 'A structural analysis of DNA binding by myelin transcription factor 1 double zinc fingers', Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol 288, no 49 , pp 35180 - 35191.
- Cubeddu, L., Joseph, S., Richard, D. and Matthews, J. (2012), 'Contribution of DEAF1 structural domains to the interaction with the breast cancer oncogene LMO4', PLoS One, vol 7, no 6 .
- Richard, D., Savage, K., Bolderson, E., Cubeddu, L., So, S. and Ghita, M. (2011), 'hSSB1 rapidly binds at the sites of DNA double-strand breaks and is required for the efficient recruitment of the MRN complex', Nucleic Acids Research, vol 39, no 5 , pp 1692 - 1702.
- Richard, D., Cubeddu, L., Urquhart, A., Bain, A., Bolderson, E., Menon, D., White, M. and Khanna, K. (2011), 'hSSB1 interacts directly with the MRN complex stimulating its recruitment to DNA double-strand breaks and its endo-nuclease activity', Nucleic Acids Research, vol 39, no 9 , pp 3643 - 3651.
- Sobti, M., Cubeddu, L., Haynes, P. and Mabbutt, B. (2010), 'Engineered rings of mixed yeast lsm proteins show differential interactions with translation factors and U-rich RNA', Biochemistry, vol 49, no 11 , pp 2335 - 2345.
- Swarbrick, J., Cubeddu, L., Ball, G., Curmi, P., Gooley, A., Williams, K. and Mabbutt, B. (2009), 'NMR assignment of prespore specific antigen : a cell surface adhesion glycoprotein from Dictyostelium discoideum', Biomolecular NMR Assignments, vol 3, no 1 .
- Matthews, J., Bhati, M., Lehtomaki, E., Mansfield, R., Cubeddu, L. and Mackay, J. (2009), 'It takes two to tango : the structure and function of LIM, RING, PHD and MYND domains', Current Pharmaceutical Design, vol 15, no 31 , pp 3681 - 3696.
- Richard, D., Bolderson, E., Cubeddu, L., Wadsworth, R., Savage, K., Sharma, G., Nicolette, M., Tsvetanov, S., McIlwraith, M., Pandita, R., Takeda, S., Hay, R., Gautier, J., West, S., Paull, T., Pandita, T., White, M. and Khanna, K. (2008), 'Single-stranded DNA-binding protein hSSB1 is critical for genomic stability', Nature, vol 453 , pp 677 - 681.
- Richards, J., Cubeddu, L., Roberts, J., Liu, H. and White, M. (2008), 'The archaeal XPB protein is a ssDNA-dependent ATPase with a novel partner', Journal of Molecular Biology, vol 376, no 3 , pp 634 - 644.
- Cubeddu, L. and Matthews, J. (2008), 'RBBP8 - CtIP', Targeted Proteins Database 1, .
- Morgan, H., Estibeiro, P., Wear, M., Max, K., Heinemann, U., Cubeddu, L., Gallagher, M., Sadler, P. and Walkinshaw, M. (2007), 'Sequence specificity of single-stranded DNA-binding proteins: a novel DNA microarray approach', Nucleic Acids Research, vol 35, no 10 .
- Cubeddu, L. and White, M. (2005), 'DNA damage detection by an archaeal single-stranded DNA-binding protein', Journal of Molecular Biology, .
Conference Papers
- Jones, C., Wu, M., Cubeddu, L. and Chuck, J. (2020), '21st century skill development in remote, on-line learning biochemistry students', Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education, Online.
- Cubeddu, L., Richard, D., White, M. and Khanna, K. (2010), 'Novel single stranded DNA binding proteins crucial for the DNA damage response', 35th FEBS Congress, Gothenburg, Sweden.
- Cubeddu, L., Richard, D., Bolderson, E., White, M. and Khanna, K. (2008), 'hSSB1, an evolutionary conserved single stranded DNA binding protein critical for the DNA damage response', 33rd FEBS Congress, .
- Cubeddu, L. and Matthews, J. (2007), 'Molecular interactions of LMO4 and DEAF-1: implications for breast cancer', FEBS Conference, .
- Understanding the role of the new DNA repair protein hSSB2 in the response to ultraviolet radiation damage (sunlight).
- Characterising structure-function relationship of the new DNA repair protein hSSB1 in the MRN repair complex that repairs lethal DNA double-strand breaks.
- Exploring the diverse DNA damage response functions of both hSSB1 and hSSB2 and discovering novel binding parthers.
- Collaborations with industry partners in the areas of protein characterisation by structural and biophysicals methods
This information has been contributed by Associate Professor Cubeddu.
Current Projects
| Title: | Biophysical characterisation of the binding between receptors important in the immune response & proprietary inflammation drugs |
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| Funder: |
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| Western Researchers: | Roland Gamsjaeger and Liza Cubeddu |
| Years: | 2022-10-01 - 2024-09-30 |
| ID: | P00028299 |
Previous Projects
| Title: | hSSB1: A key regulator of genome stability and potential cancer therapeutic target [via QUT] |
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| Funder: |
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| Western Researchers: | Liza Cubeddu |
| Years: | 2014-01-16 - 2017-01-15 |
| ID: | P00021868 |
| Title: | Inhibiting protein-protein interactions involved in neural development and disease [via USYD] |
| Funder: |
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| Western Researchers: | Liza Cubeddu |
| Years: | 2012-09-19 - 2013-12-31 |
| ID: | P00020919 |
| Title: | Preliminary analysis into the molecular mechanism of proprietary cancer/COVID-19 drug binding to its major protein target |
| Funder: |
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| Western Researchers: | Roland Gamsjaeger and Liza Cubeddu |
| Years: | 2022-03-01 - 2023-03-31 |
| ID: | P00027783 |
| Title: | Targeting Nsp9, an RNA-binding protein of SARS-CoV2 |
| Funder: |
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| Western Researchers: | Roland Gamsjaeger and Liza Cubeddu |
| Years: | 2022-12-01 - 2023-12-01 |
| ID: | P00028375 |
| Title: | Recombinant bacterial expression of GPC-1 Protein |
| Funder: |
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| Western Researchers: | Roland Gamsjaeger and Liza Cubeddu |
| Years: | 2017-09-04 - 2018-09-03 |
| ID: | P00024516 |
| Title: | Preliminary 1D 1H NMR study to determine the molecular interactions of Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium salt with gelatin in solution |
| Funder: |
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| Western Researchers: | Kamali Kannangara, Roland Gamsjaeger and Liza Cubeddu |
| Years: | 2019-07-22 - 2019-08-31 |
| ID: | P00026007 |
| Title: | Biochemical characterisation of the binding between the ERK1 kinase and a proprietary cancer/inflammation drug |
| Funder: |
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| Western Researchers: | Roland Gamsjaeger and Liza Cubeddu |
| Years: | 2022-03-21 - 2023-06-30 |
| ID: | P00027859 |
| Title: | A single-stranded DNA binding protein implicated in the cellular response to DNA damage |
| Funder: |
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| Western Researchers: | Liza Cubeddu |
| Years: | 2011-07-25 - 2014-06-30 |
| ID: | P00020353 |
Supervision
Associate Professor Cubeddu is available to be a principal supervisor for doctoral projects
Current Supervision
| Thesis Title: | A Single-stranded DNA Binding Protein Implicated in the Cellular Response to DNA Damage |
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| Field of Research: | |
| Thesis Title: | HSSB1 in Homologous Recombination |
| Field of Research: | |
| Thesis Title: | Association between Glutathione and Thioredoxin Redox Homeostasis and DNA Integrity, Mutation and Repair |
| Field of Research: | |
| Thesis Title: | Searching for genes that lead to a mutator phenotype in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and understanding the function of these genes. |
| Field of Research: |
Previous Supervision
| Thesis Title: | Determining the Structural Mechanism of How Single-Stranded DNA Binding Proteins Bind DNA |
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| Field of Research: | Medical Science; Other Natural And Physical Sciences; Biochemistry And Cell Biology |
| Thesis Title: | Molecular Investigations of a Saxitoxin-Producing Strain and a Non-Toxic Strain of Anabaena Circinalis |
| Field of Research: | Microbiology; Biochemistry And Cell Biology |
| Thesis Title: | Defining the mechanistic role of hSSB1: A novel single-stranded DNA binding protein essential for DNA repair |
| Field of Research: | Other Natural And Physical Sciences |
| Thesis Title: | How does hSSB1 recruit the MRN complex to the site of double stranded DNA breaks? |
| Field of Research: | Natural And Physical Sciences |
| Thesis Title: | Defining the molecular details of hSSB1 oligomerisation in response to oxidative DNA damage |
| Field of Research: | Medical Science; Other Natural And Physical Sciences; Biochemistry And Cell Biology |
| Thesis Title: | Analysing genetic interactions to identify genes, that when overactive, impact genome integrity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae |
| Field of Research: | Biochemistry And Cell Biology; Genetics |
| Thesis Title: | Molecular Characterisation of Proteins Involved in DNA Repair |
| Field of Research: | Other Health |