Muletz Wolz, Carly
Former Molecular Ecologist
Molecular ecologist that takes a holistic view of plants and animals by considering their genes, their microbiomes, and their environment with the goal to improve organismal and ecosystem health.
Geographic Focus
Background And Education
Education And Training
- Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park 2011 - 2016
- M.S. in Biology, James Madison University 2009 - 2011
- B.S. in Biology, Frostburg State University 2002 - 2007
Awards And Honors
- Smithsonian Scholarly Studies Award, conferred by Smithsonian Scholarly Studies Awards, 2020
- Smithsonian Scholarly Studies Award, conferred by Smithsonian Scholarly Studies Awards, 2020
- Smithsonian Scholarly Studies Award, conferred by Smithsonian Scholarly Studies Awards, 2020
- Smithsonian Scholarly Studies Award, conferred by Smithsonian Scholarly Studies Awards, 2019
Public Biography
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Dr. Carly R. Muletz Wolz is a molecular ecologist. She takes a holistic view of plants and animals by considering their genes, their microbiomes, and their environment with the goal to improve organismal and ecosystem health. She is fascinated by the role microorganisms play in the ecology and evolution of plants and animals. She uses a variety of tools in her research, including microbiology, molecular biology, ancient DNA and statistics. She loves being in the field studying salamanders, but also enjoys mentoring, designing experiments, conducting lab work, and analyzing data. Dr. Muletz Wolz's findings help guide conservation action and address fundamental questions on host-microbial dynamics.
Dr. Muletz Wolz’s main focus of research has been on studying the deadly chytrid pathogen of amphibians, but in recent years she has expanded her research into a variety of other systems through collaborations with other Smithsonian scientists and University professors. She approaches her research be viewing microorganisms as both friends and foes. She is particularly interested in what influences the distribution of beneficial microbes and ways we may be able to use beneficial microbes to protect hosts against disease.Muletz Wolz's projects include:
- Identifying mechanisms leading to amphibian host defenses against pathogens
- Understanding what controls microbial diversity in milk across the mammalian tree of life
- Identifying relationships between gut microbiomes and animal health in zoo populations, including in elephants, cheetahs, primates and wolves
- Quantifying how agroforestry practices impact coffee soil microbiomes
- Utilizing museum collections to identify historic distribution of pathogens
Dr. Muletz Wolz uses an interdisciplinary approach to address important topics in biology. She believes it is critical that we understand how microorganisms impact plant and animal health and use that information to tackle the underlying cause of unhealthy systems and save species. The causes of disease range from infectious microorganisms, such as viral and fungal pathogens, to genetic and autoimmune disorders. The introduction of pathogens into naïve wildlife communities is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. Likewise, non-infectious diseases are also emerging across the modern world, which include genetic and autoimmune disorders. Such diseases not only affect humans, but also impact the health and well-being of zoo animals and ex situ animal populations. Disease is, in large part, driving losses to global biodiversity, and may have compounding effects with climate change. Developing strategies to reduce biodiversity losses from disease and climate change are some of Dr. Muletz Wolz's conservation goals.Dr. Muletz Wolz obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Spanish language and literature from Frostburg State University, her Master of Science in Biology from James Madison University and her doctorate in Biological Sciences from the University of Maryland. She grew up in a small town in the Appalachian Mountains, Frostburg, Maryland. She loves the tranquility of nature and enjoys spending time in her garden and camping with her family.
Research And Grants
Investigator On
- Microbiome and peptide diversity in a salamander biodiversity hotspot 2019 - 2020
- Genetic rescue in action: Applying lessons learned from persisting amphibian populations to inspire innovative captive breeding strategies awarded by Revive & Restore 2020 -
- Phylogenetic and dietary factors influencing milk microbial community structure awarded by Smithsonian Scholarly Studies Awards
- The amphibian skin microbial-immune interface and its impact on infection outcome: IOS: Collaborative Research: NSF-BIO/BBSRC awarded by National Science Foundation
Keywords
- health, disease, microbiome, microbiota, pathogen, Batrachochytrium, salamanders, chytrid, peptides, bacteria, symbionts, symbiosis, amphibians, fungi
Publications
Selected Publications
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Article
- Hauser, Kelsey A., Garvey, Christina N., Crow, Ryley S., Hossainey, Muhammad R. H., Howard, Dustin T., Ranganathan, Netra, Gentry, Lindsey K., Yaparla, Amulya, Kalia, Namarta, Zelle, Mira, Jones, Elizabeth J., Duttargi, Anju N., Rollins-Smith, Louise, Muletz-Wolz, Carly, and Grayfer, Leon. 2024. "Amphibian mast cells serve as barriers to chytrid fungus infections." eLife, 12. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.92168.3. 2024
- Bornbusch, Sally L., Bamford, Alexandra, Thacher, Piper, Crosier, Adrienne, Marinari, Paul, Bortner, Robyn, Garelle, Della, Livieri, Travis, Santymire, Rachel, Comizzoli, Pierre, Maslanka, Michael, Maldonado, Jesús E., Koepfli, Klaus-Peter, Muletz-Wolz, Carly, and DeCandia, Alexandra L. 2024. "Author Correction: Markers of fertility in reproductive microbiomes of male and female endangered black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes)." Communications Biology, 7, (1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06793-3. 2024
- Bragg, Morgan, Muletz-Wolz, Carly, Songsasen, Nucharin, and Freeman, Elizabeth W. 2024. "Kibble diet is associated with higher faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in zoo-managed red wolves ( Canis rufus )." Conservation Physiology, 12, (1). https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coae008. 2024
- Bornbusch, Sally L., Shinnerl, Hannah E., Gentry, Lindsey, Keady, Mia M., Glick, Virginia, Muletz-Wolz, Carly R., and Power, Michael L. 2024. "Local environment shapes milk microbiomes while evolutionary history constrains milk macronutrients in captive cercopithecine primates." Environmental microbiology, 26, (6). https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.16664. 2024
- Bornbusch, Sally L., Bamford, Alexandra, Thacher, Piper, Crosier, Adrienne, Marinari, Paul, Bortner, Robyn, Garelle, Della, Livieri, Travis, Santymire, Rachel, Comizzoli, Pierre, Maslanka, Michael, Maldonado, Jesús E., Koepfli, Klaus-Peter, Muletz-Wolz, Carly, and DeCandia, Alexandra L. 2024. "Markers of fertility in reproductive microbiomes of male and female endangered black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes)." Communications Biology, 7, (1) 224. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-05908-0. 2024
- Power, Michael L., Muletz-Wolz, Carly, and Bornbusch, Sally L. 2024. "Microbiome: Mammalian milk microbiomes: sources of diversity, potential functions, and future research directions." Reproduction and Fertility, 5, (2). https://doi.org/10.1530/RAF-23-0056. 2024
- Osborne, Owen G., Jiménez, Randall R., Byrne, Allison Q., Gratwicke, Brian, Ellison, Amy, and Muletz-Wolz, Carly. 2024. "Phylosymbiosis shapes skin bacterial communities and pathogen-protective function in Appalachian salamanders." The ISME Journal, https://doi.org/10.1093/ismejo/wrae104. 2024
- Keady, Mia M., Jimenez, Randall R., Bragg, Morgan, Wagner, Jenna C. P., Bornbusch, Sally L., Power, Michael L., and Muletz-Wolz, Carly. 2023. "Ecoevolutionary processes structure milk microbiomes across the mammalian tree of life." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 120, (28). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2218900120. 2023
- Thacher, Piper R., Kendrick, Erin L., Maslanka, Michael, Muletz‐Wolz, Carly R., and Bornbusch, Sally L. 2023. "Fecal microbiota transplants modulate the gut microbiome of a two‐toed sloth ( Choloepus didactylus )." Zoo biology, 42, (3) 453–458. https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.21751. 2023
- DeCandia, Alexandra L., Adeduro, Laura, Thacher, Piper, Crosier, Adrienne, Marinari, Paul, Bortner, Robyn, Garelle, Della, Livieri, Travis, Santymire, Rachel, Comizzoli, Pierre, Maslanka, Michael, Maldonado, Jesús E., Koepfli, Klaus-Peter, Muletz-Wolz, Carly, and Bornbusch, Sally L. 2023. "Gut bacterial composition shows sex-specific shifts during breeding season in ex situ managed black-footed ferrets." Journal of Heredity, https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esad065. 2023
- Bornbusch, Sally L., Muletz-Wolz, Carly R., Lopez-Bondarchuk, Ekaterina, Maslanka, Michael T., and Kendrick, Erin L. 2023. "Gut microbiomes of captive primates show phylosymbiosis, respond to dietary sugar reduction, and select for host-specific dietary microbes." FEMS microbiology ecology, 99, (8). https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiad069. 2023
- Bornbusch, Sally L., Power, Michael L., Schulkin, Jay, Drea, Christine M., Maslanka, Michael T., and Muletz‐Wolz, Carly R. 2023. "Integrating microbiome science and evolutionary medicine into animal health and conservation." Biological Reviews, https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.13030. 2023
- Speer, Kelly A., Hawkins, Melissa T. R., Flores, Mary Faith C., McGowen, Michael R., Fleischer, Robert C., Maldonado, Jesús E., Campana, Michael G., and Muletz-Wolz, Carly. 2022. "A comparative study of RNA yields from museum specimens, including an optimized protocol for extracting RNA from formalin-fixed specimens." Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.953131. 2022
- Jiménez, Randall R., Carfagno, Amy, Linhoff, Luke, Gratwicke, Brian, Woodhams, Douglas C., Chafran, Liana Soares, Bletz, Molly C., Bishop, Barney, and Muletz-Wolz, Carly R. 2022. "Inhibitory Bacterial Diversity and Mucosome Function Differentiate Susceptibility of Appalachian Salamanders to Chytrid Fungal Infection." Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 88, (8). https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.01818-21. 2022
- Smalling, Kelly L., Mosher, Brittany A., Iwanowicz, Luke R., Loftin, Keith A., Boehlke, Adam, Hladik, Michelle L., Muletz‐Wolz, Carly R., Córtes‐Rodríguez, Nandadevi, Femmer, Robin, and Campbell Grant, Evan H. 2022. "Site‐ and Individual‐Level Contaminations Affect Infection Prevalence of an Emerging Infectious Disease of Amphibians." Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 41, (3) 781–791. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5291. 2022
- Keady, Mia M., Prado, Natalia, Lim, Haw Chuan, Brown, Janine, Paris, Steve, and Muletz-Wolz, Carly. 2021. "Clinical health issues, reproductive hormones, and metabolic hormones associated with gut microbiome structure in African and Asian elephants." Animal Microbiome, 3, (1) 85. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42523-021-00146-9. 2021
- DiRenzo, Graziella V., Longo, Ana V., Muletz-Wolz, Carly R., Pessier, Allan P., Goodheart, Jessica A., and Lips, Karen R. 2021. "Correction to Plethodontid salamanders show variable disease dynamics in response to Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans chytridiomycosis (Apr, 10.1007/s10530-021-02536-1, 2021)." Biological Invasions, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-021-02578-5. 2021
- McGrath-Blaser, Sarah, Steffen, Morgan, Grafe, T. U., Torres-Sánchez, María, Mcleod, David S., and Muletz-Wolz, Carly. 2021. "Early life skin microbial trajectory as a function of vertical and environmental transmission in Bornean foam-nesting frogs." Animal Microbiome, 3, (1) 83. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42523-021-00147-8. 2021
- Muletz-Wolz, Carly R., Wilson Rankin, Erin, McGrath-Blaser, Sarah, Venkatraman, Madhvi, Maldonado, Jesus E., Gruner, Daniel S., and Fleischer, Robert C. 2021. "Identification of novel bacterial biomarkers to detect bird scavenging by invasive rats." Ecology and Evolution, 11, (4) 1814–1828. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7171. 2021
- Comizzoli, Pierre, Power, Michael L., Bornbusch, Sally L., and Muletz-Wolz, Carly. 2021. "Interactions between reproductive biology and microbiomes in wild animal species." Animal Microbiome, 3, (1) 87. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42523-021-00156-7. 2021
- DiRenzo, Graziella V., Longo, Ana V., Muletz-Wolz, Carly, Pessier, Allan P., Goodheart, Jessica A., and Lips, Karen R. 2021. "Plethodontid salamanders show variable disease dynamics in response to Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans chytridiomycosis." Biological Invasions, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-021-02536-1. 2021
- Comizzoli, Pierre, Pagenkopp Lohan, Katrina M., Muletz-Wolz, Carly, Hassell, James, and Coyle, Brian J. 2021. "The Interconnected Health Initiative: A Smithsonian Framework to Extend One Health Research and Education." Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2021.629410. 2021
- Bragg, Morgan, Freeman, Elizabeth W., Lim, Haw Chuan, Songsasen, Nucharin, and Muletz-Wolz, Carly R. 2020. "Gut Microbiomes Differ Among Dietary Types and Stool Consistency in the Captive Red Wolf (Canis rufus)." Frontiers in Microbiology, 11 Article 590212. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.590212. 2020
- Rao, Maya V., Rice, Robert A., Fleischer, Robert C., and Muletz-Wolz, Carly R. 2020. "Soil fungal communities differ between shaded and sun-intensive coffee plantations in El Salvador." Plos One, 15, (4) e0231875–e0231875. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0231875. 2020
- Ellison, Amy, Zamudio, Kelly, Lips, Karen, and Muletz-Wolz, Carly. 2020. "Temperature-mediated shifts in salamander transcriptomic responses to the amphibian-killing fungus." Molecular ecology, 29, (2) 325–343. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.15327. 2020
- Sakowski, Eric, Uritskiy, Gherman, Cooper, Rachel, Gomes, Maya, McLaren, Michael R., Meisel, Jacquelyn S., Mickol, Rebecca L., Mintz, C. D., Mongodin, Emmanuel F., Pop, Mihai, Rahman, Mohammad Arifur, Sanchez, Alvaro, Timp, Winston, Vela, Jeseth Delgado, Wolz, Carly Muletz, Zackular, Joseph P., Chopyk, Jessica, Commichaux, Seth, Davis, Meghan, Dluzen, Douglas, Ganesan, Sukirth M., Haruna, Muyideen, Nasko, Dan, Regan, Mary J., Sarria, Saul et al. 2019. "Current State of and Future Opportunities for Prediction in Microbiome Research: Report from the Mid-Atlantic Microbiome Meet-up in Baltimore on 9 January 2019." mSystems, 4, (5). https://doi.org/10.1128/mSystems.00392-19. 2019
- Muletz-Wolz, Carly, Barnett, Samuel E., DiRenzo, Graziella V., Zamudio, Kelly R., Toledo, Luís Felipe, James, Timothy Y., and Lips, Karen R. 2019. "Diverse genotypes of the amphibian-killing fungus produce distinct phenotypes through plastic responses to temperature." Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 32, (3) 287–298. https://doi.org/10.1111/jeb.13413. 2019
- Muletz‐Wolz, Carly R., Kurata, Naoko P., Himschoot, Elizabeth A., Wenker, Elizabeth S., Quinn, Elizabeth A., Hinde, Katie, Power, Michael L., and Fleischer, Robert C. 2019. "Diversity and temporal dynamics of primate milk microbiomes." American Journal of Primatology, 81, (10-11) Article e22994. (Primate Microbiome) https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.22994. 2019
- Savage, Anna E., Muletz-Wolz, Carly, Campbell Grant, Evan H., Fleischer, Robert C., and Mulder, Kevin P. 2019. "Functional variation at an expressed MHC class IIβ locus associates with Ranavirus infection intensity in larval anuran populations." Immunogenetics, 71, (4) 335–346. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00251-019-01104-1. 2019
- Muletz-Wolz, Carly, Fleischer, Robert C., and Lips, Karen R. 2019. "Fungal disease and temperature alter skin microbiome structure in an experimental salamander system." Molecular ecology, 28, (11) 2917–2931. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.15122. 2019
- Miller, Kyle L., Castañeda Rico, Susette, Muletz-Wolz, Carly, Campana, Michael G., McInerney, Nancy, Augustine, Lauren, Frere, Celine, Peters, Alan M., and Fleischer, Robert C. 2019. "Parthenogenesis in a captive Asian water dragon (Physignathus cocincinus) identified with novel microsatellites." PLOS ONE, 14, (6) 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0217489. 2019
- Klocke, Blake, Becker, Matthew H., Lewis, James, Fleischer, Robert C., Muletz-Wolz, Carly R., Rockwood, Larry, Aguirre, A. Alonso, and Gratwicke, Brian. 2017. "Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans not detected in US survey of pet salamanders." Scientific Reports, 7 13132. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-13500-2. 2017
- Muletz-Wolz, Carly, DiRenzo, Graziella V., Yarwood, Stephanie A., Grant, Evan H. Campbell, Fleischer, Robert C., and Lips, Karen R. 2017. "Antifungal bacteria on woodland salamander skin exhibit high taxonomic diversity and geographic variability." Applied and Environmental Microbiology, AEM.00186–17. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.00186-17. 2017
- Muletz Wolz, Carly R., Yarwood, Stephanie A., Grant, Evan H. Campbell, Fleischer, Robert C., and Lips, Karen R. 2017. "Effects of host species and environment on the skin microbiome of Plethodontid salamanders." Journal of Animal Ecology, 87 341–353. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.12726. 2017
- Muletz-Wolz, Carly, Almario, Jose G., Barnett, Samuel E., DiRenzo, Graziella V., Martel, An, Pasmans, Frank, Zamudio, Kelly R., Toledo, Luís Felipe, and Lips, Karen R. 2017. "Inhibition of Fungal Pathogens across Genotypes and Temperatures by Amphibian Skin Bacteria." Frontiers in Microbiology, 8 1551. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2017.01551. 2017
- Maguire, Chelsea, DiRenzo, Graziella V., Tunstall, Tate S., Muletz, Carly R., Zamudio, Kelly R., and Lips, Karen R. 2016. "Dead or alive? Viability of chytrid zoospores shed from live amphibian hosts." Diseases of aquatic organisms, 119, (3) 179–187. https://doi.org/10.3354/dao02991. 2016
- Talley, Brooke L., Muletz, Carly R., Vredenburg, Vance T., Fleischer, Robert C., and Lips, Karen R. 2015. "A century of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Illinois amphibians (1888–1989)." Biological Conservation, 182 254–261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2014.12.007. 2015
- Martel, A., Blooi, M., Adriaensen, C., Van Rooij, P., Beukema, W., Fisher, M. C., Farrer, R. A., Schmidt, B. R., Tobler, U., Goka, K., Lips, K. R., Muletz, Carly R., Zamudio, K. R., Bosch, J., Lotters, S., Wombwell, E., Garner, T. W. J., Cunningham, A. A., Spitzen-van, der Sluijs, Salvidio, S., Ducatelle, R., Nishikawa, K., Nguyen, T. T., Kolby, J. E., Van Bocxlaer, I. et al. 2014. "Recent introduction of a chytrid fungus endangers Western Palearctic salamanders." Science, 346, (6209) 630–631. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1258268. 2014
- Muletz, Carly, Caruso, Nicholas M., Fleischer, Robert C., McDiarmid, Roy W., and Lips, Karen R. 2014. "Unexpected Rarity of the Pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Appalachian Plethodon Salamanders: 1957–2011." PLoS ONE, 9, (8) 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0103728. 2014
- Muletz Wolz, Carly R., Myers, Jillian M., Domangue, Rickie J., Herrick, James B., and Harris, Reid N. 2012. "Soil bioaugmentation with amphibian cutaneous bacteria protects amphibian hosts from infection by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis." Biological Conservation, 152 119–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2012.03.022. 2012