Newman Lab

Curriculum Vitae

 

 

Name:     Newman Siu Kwan SZE

Title:      Assistant Professor, School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University

EMail:    sksze@ntu.edu.sg

 

EDUCATION:

1990-1995               Ph.D., University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

1987-1990               B.Sc., University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

 

PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS:

2006.6 -  Now         Assistant Professor, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

2002.7 – 2006.5      Group Leader, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore

2003.7 – 2006.5      Adjunct Assistant Professor, National University of Singapore, Singapore

2005.5 – 2006.5      Adjunct Assistant Professor, Nanyang Technology University, Singapore

2001.5 – 2002.6      Visiting Scientist, Cornell University, USA

1998.6 – 2001.5      Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Waterloo, Canada

1995.5 – 1998.5      Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Toronto, Canada

 

HONORS AND AWARDS:

1.        Human Proteome Organization Annual Congress - First Prize Poster Award, 2004

Probing protein solvent accessible surface by laser induced oxidation and mass spectrometry

2.        The Croucher Foundation Fellowships, 1995-97

3.        The Croucher Foundation Studentships, 1990-93

4.        Sir Edward Youde Memorial Scholarships, 1989-90

5.        Du pont Science Scholarships, 1989-90

6.        Dow Chemical Scholarships, 1989-90

7.        G.T. Byrne Memorial Prize in Chemistry, 1989-90

8.        Douglas Payne Prizes in Chemistry, 1989-90

 

INVITED SEMINARS:

1.        Workshop on Proteomics Data Analysis and Data Mining 2005

Algorithm for Quantitative Proteome Analysis

2.        5^th HUGO Pacific Conference Nov 2004

        Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry for Top Down Proteomics

3.        The Mass Spectrometry Society of Japan - The 52nd Annual Conference 2004

        Application of Top Down Proteomics to Epigenetics and Gene Regulation

4.        The Mass Spectrometry Society of Japan, Kanto-area Colloquium

        Probing Protein Tertiary Structure and Interaction by Mass Spectrometry

5.        Pharmacoproteomics 2003, Tokyo, Japan

        Top Down Approach for Proteomics Analysis by Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry and Electron Capture Dissociation

6.        A Workshop on Introduction to BioMEMS and BioMedical Applications 2003, Institute of Microelectronics, Singapore

        Coupling Capillary Isoelectric Focusing in Open Microchannel to Mass Spectrometry for Protein Characterization

7.        Proteomics in Asia and Oceania 2002, Osaka, Japan

        Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry and Electron Capture Dissociation for Protein Characterization

 

SCIENTIFIC SERVICES:

1.        Editorial Board, Journal of Mass Spectrometry Society of Japan

2.        Proposal Reviewer, Hong Kong Research Grant Council

3.        Proposal Reviewer, BMRC, Singapore

 

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Our research is devoted to develop and apply advanced proteomic technologies to decipher human diseases through a rational search for novel disease targets and medicines. Tandem affinity purification tags have been constructed and utilized to study proteins that are important to transcriptional and translational regulatory networks, DNA repair, and apoptotic pathway. To this end, we have studied Ku70 protein complex and identified several new partners in the nucleus that function in DNA repair and transcriptional regulation. More importantly, we have found that Ku70 played a key role in signal transduction and governed the master switch in apoptotic pathway in the cytoplasm.  Currently, we focus our efforts to understand the role of Ku70 in cancer development and other human diseases. Another theme of our research is directed to develop high sensitive structural based proteomic methodologies to elucidate the molecular machine operating inside the cell. We have developed a novel laser induced photochemical protein surface oxidation method to determine protein (or protein complex) solvent accessible surface. We are applying this technology to map sites of protein-protein, protein-DNA/RNA, and protein-drug interactions, and to study their binding kinetics.

In addition, we are developing cutting-edge top-down proteomic technologies based on LC-MS/MS and LTQ Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry. Protein functions are highly regulated by their post translational modifications such as phosphorylation, acetylation and methylation. These modifications are central to cellular signaling pathways and gene regulatory networks, and therefore important for cancer therapy and diagnostics. However, it is difficult to study these modifications using traditional biochemical methods. The top-down proteomic strategy will enable us to characterize and profile global protein post-translational modifications.

 

 

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:

1.        Chen L, Sze SK and Yang H, Automated Intensity Descent Method (AID-HRMS) for Efficient Interpretation of Complex High Resolution Mass Spectra of Proteins, Analytical Chemistry, 2006. (In Press).

2.        Wong JJY, Pung YF, Sze NSK and Chin KC, HERC5 is a novel interferon-induced HECT-type E3 protein ligase that mediates Type I interferon-induced ISGylation of protein targets, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, 2006. (Accepted).

3.        Guo X, Chan-Park M, Yoon SF, Chun J, Hua L, and Sze NSK, UV Embossed Polymeric Chip for Protein Separation and Identification based on Capillary Isoelectric Focusing and MALDI-TOF-MS, Analytical Chemistry,  78, 3249-3256, 2006.

4.        Hua L, Low TY, and Sze NSK, Microwave-assisted Specific Chemical Digestion for Rapid Protein Identification, Proteomics, 6, 586-591, 2006.

5.        Aye TT, Low TY, and Sze NSK, Nanosecond Laser Induced Photochemical Oxidation method for Protein Surface Mapping with Mass Spectrometry, Analytical Chemistry, 77(18), 5814-5822, 2005.

6.        Mok MLS, Hua Lin, Phua JBC, Wee MKT, and Sze NSK, Capillary Isoelectric Focusing in Pseudo-closed Channel Coupled to Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry for Protein Analysis, Analyst, 129, 109-110, 2004.

7.        Sze NSK, Ge Y, Oh H, and McLafferty FW, Plasma Electron Capture Dissociation for Large Protein, Analytical Chemistry, 75, 1599-1603, 2003.

8.        Ge Y, ElNaggar M, Sze NSK, Hanbin Oh, Begley TP, and McLafferty FW, Top Down Proteomic Analysis of Secreted Proteins from Mycobacterium Tuberculosis by Electron Capture Dissociation Mass Spectrometry, Journal of the American Society of Mass Spectrometry, 14(3), 253-261, 2003.

9.     Ge Y, Lwahor BG, ElNaggar M, Sze NSK, Begley TP, and McLafferty FW, Protein Oxidation in Viral Prolyl-4-hydroxylase Characterized by Top Down Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Protein Science, 12, 2320-2326, 2003.

10.     Oh H, Breuker K, Sze SK, Ge Y, Carpenter BK, and McLafferty FW,  Secondary and tertiary structures of gaseous protein ions characterized by electron capture dissociation mass spectrometry and photofragment spectroscopy. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America, 99, 15863-8, 2002.

11.     Sze NSK, Ge Y, Oh H, and McLafferty FW, Top Down Mass Spectrometry of a 29 kDa Protein for Characterization of Any Posttranslational Modification to Within One Residue, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA. 99, 1774-1779, 2002.

 

PATENTS:

1.        Capillary Isoelectic Focusing – MALDI Device for Protein Analysis

2.        Polymer Composite for MALDI Analysis of Biomolecules.

 

 

Lab Members:

Ran Dong Yuan

Email: rdyuan@ntu.edu.sg

Tel: (65) 6316-2852

 

 

Meng Wei

Email: g0402992@nus.edu.sg

Tel: (65) 6316-2852

 

 

NARDEV S/O RAMANATHAN

Email: nardev@pmail.ntu.edu.sg

Tel: (65) 6316-2852

 

 

Vacancies:

We are looking for Postdoctoral Fellows, Research Assistants and Graduate Students to join our multi-disciplinary team in the following areas:

 

1)       proteomics technology development: background in physics, chemistry, biology or engineering

2)       proteomics bioinformatics/mass spectrometry data analysis: Mathematics, Computer Sciences