Catherine Guzzo assists the firm in biotechnology patent prosecution. She has extensive knowledge in the area of biochemistry.

Prior to joining Wolf Greenfield, Catherine conducted postdoctoral research in the Department of Cancer Biology at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA, and in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. Her postdoctoral research studies demonstrated that RNF4-Dependent Hybrid SUMO-Ubiquitin Chains are signals for the recruitment of the breast cancer type 1 susceptibility (BRCA1) protein to sites of DNA damage. These studies were selected by the Editors of Science Signaling as one of the most important scientific breakthroughs of 2012.

As a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, Catherine studied aminoacyl tRNA synthetases, enzymes that attach amino acids to tRNA, as a means to understanding cellular protein synthesis. Prior to graduate school, Catherine was a technical scientist in the Polymers Division at Rohm and Haas Chemicals LLC in Spring House, PA. There, she participated in the optimization of various latex coatings and tested their performance by standard industry methods.

Catherine has several years of teaching experience including instruction of general chemistry laboratory and lecture courses to undergraduates and biochemistry laboratory courses to graduate students.
  • American Association for Cancer Research
  • American Association for the Advancement of Science


  • The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Postdoctoral Travel Award, 2013
  • American Association for Cancer Research, Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2008–2011
  • Ubiquitin Drug Discovery and Diagnostics Conference, Postdoctoral Travel Award, 2010
  • Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, National Cancer Institute Training Grant, 2007–2008
  • The American Institute of Chemists Foundation Award, Undergraduate Award, 2000


Scientific Publications

Cox E, Uzoma I, Guzzo C, Jeong JS, Matunis M, Blackshaw S, Zhu H. (2015) Identification of SUMO E3 Ligase-Specific Substrates using the HuProt Human Proteome Microarray. Methods Mol. Biol. 1295:455-63.

Guzzo CM, Ringel A, Cox E, Uzoma I, Zhu H, Blackshaw S, Wolberger C, Matunis MJ. (2014) Characterization of the SUMO-Binding Activity of the Myeloproliferative and Mental Retardation-Type Zinc Fingers in ZNF261 and ZNF198. PLoS One. 18;9(8):e105271.

Coey CT, Fitzgerald ME, Maiti A, Reiter KH, Guzzo CM, Matunis MJ, Drohat AC. (2014) E2-Mediated SUMO Modification of Thymine DNA glycosylase is Efficient but not Selective for the Enzyme-Product Complex. JBC. 289(22):15810-9.

Wiener R, DiBello A, Lombardi PM, Guzzo CM, Zhang X, Matunis MJ, Wolberger C. (2013) E2 Ubiquitin Conjugating Enzymes Regulate the Deubiquitinating Activity of OTUB1. Nat Struct Mol Bio. 9:1033-9.

Guzzo, CM and Matunis, MJ. (2013) Expanding SUMO and Ubiquitin-Mediated Signaling Through Hybrid SUMO-Ubiquitin Chains and their Receptors. Cell Cycle. 12(7):1015-7.

Guzzo, CM, Berndsen, CE, Zhu, J, Gupta, V, Datta, A, Greenberg, RA, Wolberger, C, Matunis, MJ. (2012) RNF4-Dependent Hybrid SUMO-Ubiquitin Chains are Signals for RAP80/BRCA1 Recruitment to Sites of DNA Damage. Sci Signal. 5:253.

Selected by Science Signaling Board of Reviewing Editors as one of the scientific breakthroughs of 2012: Yaffe, MB and Gough, NR. 2012: Signaling Breakthroughs of the Year. Sci Signal. 6, eg1.

Matunis, MJ and Guzzo, CM. (2012) SUMO, PTEN and Tumor Suppression. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. 25:718-719.

Li R, Wang L, Liao G, Guzzo CM, Matunis MJ, Zhu H, Hayward SD. (2012) SUMO Binding by the Epstein-Barr Virus Protein Kinase BGLF4 is Crucial for BGLF4 Function. J Virol. 86:5412-21.

Zhu, J, Zhu, S, Guzzo, CM, Ellis, N, Sung, KS, Choi, CY, Matunis, MJ. (2008) SUMO Binding Determines Substrate Recognition and Paralog-Selective SUMO Modification. JBC. 283:29405-15.

Guzzo, CM, Yang, DCH. (2008) Lysyl-tRNA Synthetase Interacts with EF1alpha, Aspartyl-tRNA synthetase and p38 In Vitro. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 365:718-723.

Guzzo, CM, Yang, DCH. (2007) Systematic Analysis of Fusion and Affinity Tags using Human Aspartyl-tRNA Synthetase Expressed in E. coli. Protein Expr. Purif. 54:166-175.


Basketball, running, lifting weights, yoga, spending time with family and friends
Expand All
Catherine Guzzo assists the firm in biotechnology patent prosecution. She has extensive knowledge in the area of biochemistry.

Prior to joining Wolf Greenfield, Catherine conducted postdoctoral research in the Department of Cancer Biology at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA, and in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. Her postdoctoral research studies demonstrated that RNF4-Dependent Hybrid SUMO-Ubiquitin Chains are signals for the recruitment of the breast cancer type 1 susceptibility (BRCA1) protein to sites of DNA damage. These studies were selected by the Editors of Science Signaling as one of the most important scientific breakthroughs of 2012.

As a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, Catherine studied aminoacyl tRNA synthetases, enzymes that attach amino acids to tRNA, as a means to understanding cellular protein synthesis. Prior to graduate school, Catherine was a technical scientist in the Polymers Division at Rohm and Haas Chemicals LLC in Spring House, PA. There, she participated in the optimization of various latex coatings and tested their performance by standard industry methods.

Catherine has several years of teaching experience including instruction of general chemistry laboratory and lecture courses to undergraduates and biochemistry laboratory courses to graduate students.
  • American Association for Cancer Research
  • American Association for the Advancement of Science


  • The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Postdoctoral Travel Award, 2013
  • American Association for Cancer Research, Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2008–2011
  • Ubiquitin Drug Discovery and Diagnostics Conference, Postdoctoral Travel Award, 2010
  • Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, National Cancer Institute Training Grant, 2007–2008
  • The American Institute of Chemists Foundation Award, Undergraduate Award, 2000

Scientific Publications

Cox E, Uzoma I, Guzzo C, Jeong JS, Matunis M, Blackshaw S, Zhu H. (2015) Identification of SUMO E3 Ligase-Specific Substrates using the HuProt Human Proteome Microarray. Methods Mol. Biol. 1295:455-63.

Guzzo CM, Ringel A, Cox E, Uzoma I, Zhu H, Blackshaw S, Wolberger C, Matunis MJ. (2014) Characterization of the SUMO-Binding Activity of the Myeloproliferative and Mental Retardation-Type Zinc Fingers in ZNF261 and ZNF198. PLoS One. 18;9(8):e105271.

Coey CT, Fitzgerald ME, Maiti A, Reiter KH, Guzzo CM, Matunis MJ, Drohat AC. (2014) E2-Mediated SUMO Modification of Thymine DNA glycosylase is Efficient but not Selective for the Enzyme-Product Complex. JBC. 289(22):15810-9.

Wiener R, DiBello A, Lombardi PM, Guzzo CM, Zhang X, Matunis MJ, Wolberger C. (2013) E2 Ubiquitin Conjugating Enzymes Regulate the Deubiquitinating Activity of OTUB1. Nat Struct Mol Bio. 9:1033-9.

Guzzo, CM and Matunis, MJ. (2013) Expanding SUMO and Ubiquitin-Mediated Signaling Through Hybrid SUMO-Ubiquitin Chains and their Receptors. Cell Cycle. 12(7):1015-7.

Guzzo, CM, Berndsen, CE, Zhu, J, Gupta, V, Datta, A, Greenberg, RA, Wolberger, C, Matunis, MJ. (2012) RNF4-Dependent Hybrid SUMO-Ubiquitin Chains are Signals for RAP80/BRCA1 Recruitment to Sites of DNA Damage. Sci Signal. 5:253.

Selected by Science Signaling Board of Reviewing Editors as one of the scientific breakthroughs of 2012: Yaffe, MB and Gough, NR. 2012: Signaling Breakthroughs of the Year. Sci Signal. 6, eg1.

Matunis, MJ and Guzzo, CM. (2012) SUMO, PTEN and Tumor Suppression. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. 25:718-719.

Li R, Wang L, Liao G, Guzzo CM, Matunis MJ, Zhu H, Hayward SD. (2012) SUMO Binding by the Epstein-Barr Virus Protein Kinase BGLF4 is Crucial for BGLF4 Function. J Virol. 86:5412-21.

Zhu, J, Zhu, S, Guzzo, CM, Ellis, N, Sung, KS, Choi, CY, Matunis, MJ. (2008) SUMO Binding Determines Substrate Recognition and Paralog-Selective SUMO Modification. JBC. 283:29405-15.

Guzzo, CM, Yang, DCH. (2008) Lysyl-tRNA Synthetase Interacts with EF1alpha, Aspartyl-tRNA synthetase and p38 In Vitro. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 365:718-723.

Guzzo, CM, Yang, DCH. (2007) Systematic Analysis of Fusion and Affinity Tags using Human Aspartyl-tRNA Synthetase Expressed in E. coli. Protein Expr. Purif. 54:166-175.



Basketball, running, lifting weights, yoga, spending time with family and friends