Matthew Becker, Ph.D.

Biography
After earning his B.S. in Biology, Dr. Becker earned his M.S. from James Madison University and his Ph.D. from Virginia Tech, where he completed research in amphibian conservation and microbial ecology. Dr. Becker continued this line of research as a postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, where he conducted studies to further conservation efforts for the critically endangered Panamanian Golden Frog.
Courses Taught
- BIOL 303 – Microbiology
- BIOL 400 – Biology Seminar
- BIOL 410 – Environmental Biology
Research Interests
The impact of emerging infectious diseases on Virginia salamander populations.
In recent decades, amphibians have experienced unprecedented population declines, leading to many species extinctions worldwide. A large number of these declines and extinctions are occurring in protected areas, such as national parks, and are due to two amphibian diseases: chytridiomycosis and ranaviral disease. The impact of these two diseases in the southeastern United States is unknown and is hard to measure without long-term studies of infected populations.
Therefore, a main goal of the Becker lab is to set up long-term monitoring sites of local salamander populations and measure the impact of disease on population dynamics over time. Study species for this project include the eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) and the Peaks of Otter salamander (Plethodon hubrichti), an endemic species with a very limited distribution along the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The microbiome of the Peaks of Otter Salamander
Animals are host to a diverse community of symbiotic microorganisms. We are currently discovering the significance of microbes to the health and normal function of the hosts they inhabit. In particular, some amphibian species host a wide array of bacteria on their skin that secrete compounds to prevent colonization of infectious pathogens such as the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, which is responsible for the disease chytridiomycosis.
Recent studies have shown that some of these beneficial bacteria can be used as probiotics to prevent chytridiomycosis in highly susceptible amphibian species. In an effort to understand the ecology of amphibian cutaneous microbial communities and further conservation strategies with the use of probiotics, the Becker lab uses microbiological and molecular techniques to investigate how these microbes interact with each other, their host, and B. dendrobatidis. Study species for this project will include several local salamander species, including the Peaks of Otter salamander (Plethodon hubrichti).
Publications
- MH Becker, JAN Brophy, K Barrett, E Bronikowski, M Evans, E Glassey, AW Kaganer, B Klocke, E Lassiter, AJ Meyer, CR Muletz-Wolz, RC Fleischer, CA Voigt, B Gratwicke. Genetically modifying skin microbe to produce violacein and augmenting microbiome did not defend Panamanian golden frogs from disease. ISME Communications 1 (1), 57 2021.
- KR Jones, JB Walke, MH Becker, LK Belden, MC Hughey. Time in the Laboratory, but Not Exposure to a Chytrid Fungus, Results in Rapid Change in Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) Skin Bacterial Communities. Ichthyology & Herpetology 109 (1), 75-83, 2021.
- JB Walke, MH Becker, A Krinos, EAB Chang, C Santiago, TP Umile, KPC Minbiole, LK Belden. Seasonal changes and the unexpected impact of environmental disturbance on skin bacteria of individual amphibians in a natural habitat. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 97 (3), fiaa248, 2021
- MC Hughey, ER Sokol, JB Walke, MH Becker, LK Belden. Ecological Correlates of Large-Scale Turnover in the Dominant Members of Pseudacris crucifer Skin Bacterial Communities. Microbial ecology 78, 832-842, 2019.
- MH Becker, C Read, H Nelson, K Bronson, M Burnham, M Lederer, C Mahoney, M Ridge, B Wildeman. The cutaneous microbiomes of Appalachian salamanders and their role as an innate defense against the pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. 2019 ESA Annual Meeting (August 11–16), 2019.
- K Harris, MH Becker, MM Cooke, LT Fischer, KM Bohrnstedt, TA Keplar, G Hooper, J Hoverson, M Fischer, N Edmondson. Microbial assemblages in association with crayfish ectosymbionts. 2019 ESA Annual Meeting (August 11–16), 2019.
- D Medina, MC Hughey, JB Walke, MH Becker, K Pontarelli, S Sun, B Badgley, LK Belden. Amphibian skin fungal communities vary across host species and do not correlate with infection by a pathogenic fungus. Environmental microbiology 21 (8), 2905-2920, 2019.
- JG Kueneman, MC Bletz, VJ McKenzie, CG Becker, MB Joseph, JG Abarca, H Archer, A Arellano, A Bataille, M Becker, LK Belden, A Crottini, R Geffers, CFB Haddad, RN Harris, WM Holden, M Hughey, M Jarek, PJ Kearns, JL Kerby, J Kielgast, A Kurabayashi, AV Longo, A Loudon, D Medina, JJ Nunez, RGB Perl, A Pinto-Tomas, FCE Rabemananjara, EA Rebollar, A Rodriguez, L Rollins-Smith, R Stevenson, CC Tebbe, G Vargas Asensio, B Waldman, JB Walke, SM Whitfield, KR Zamudio, I Zuniga Chaves, DC Woodhams, M Vences. Community richness of amphibian skin bacteria correlates with bioclimate at the global scale. Nature Ecology & Evolution 3 (3), 381-389, 2019.
- DC Woodhams, BC LaBumbard, KL Barnhart, MH Becker, MC Bletz, LA Escobar, SV Flechas, ME Forman, AA Iannetta, MD Joyce, F Rabemananjara, B Gratwicke, M Vences, KPC Minbiole. Prodigiosin, Violacein, and Volatile Organic Compounds Produced by Widespread Cutaneous Bacteria of Amphibians Can Inhibit Two Batrachochytrium Fungal …Microbial Ecology 75, 1049-1062, 2018.
- M Cooke, L Fischer, C Williams, K Bohrnstedt, T Kepler, P Conrado, M Becker, K Harris. A stream continuum analysis of bacteria community assembly in association with crayfish and their symbionts. 79th Annual Meeting of ASB, 2018.
- M Duggins, M Becker, N Eisele, C Kellam. Prevalence and infection intensity of fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in the eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) in relation to seasonal change. 79th Annual Meeting of ASB, 2018.
- H Nelson, B Wildeman, K Bronson, M Becker. Characterization of the Peaks of Otter Salamander Microbiome as an Innate Defense against Emerging Infectious Diseases. 79th Annual Meeting of ASB, 2018.
- C Twomey, M Burnham, C Mahoney, M Becker. Characterization of the interactions between symbiotic microbes of the salamander Desmognathus fuscus and the fungal pathogens Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and B. salamandrivorans. 79th Annual Meeting of ASB, 2018.
- K Mitchell, S Edwards, H Schultz H, KJ Harris, MH Becker. County record, Plethodon hoffmani (valley and ridge salamander) Amherst County, VA, Sheppe Pond, George Washington National Forest. Catesbeiana 38 (1), 62, 2018.
- H Schultz, MH Becker, KJ Harris. County record – Lithobates sylvaticus (wood frog) Pittsylvania County, VA. Catesbeiana 38 (1), 61, 2018.
- B Klocke, M Becker, J Lewis, RC Fleischer, CR Muletz-Wolz, L Rockwood, AA Aguirre, B Gratwicke. Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans not detected in U.S. survey of pet salamanders. Scientific Reports 7 (1), 13132, 2017.
- D Medina, JB Walke, Z Gajewski, MH Becker, MC Swartwout, LK Belden. Culture media and individual hosts affect the recovery of culturable bacterial diversity from amphibian skin. Frontiers in microbiology 8, 1574, 2017.
- JB Walke, MH Becker, MC Hughey, MC Swartwout, RV Jensen, LK Belden. Dominance‐function relationships in the amphibian skin microbiome. Environmental Microbiology 19 (8), 3387-3397, 2017.
- D Medina, MC Hughey, MH Becker, JB Walke, TP Umile, EA Burzynski, A Iannetta, KPC Minbiole, LK Belden. Variation in metabolite profiles of amphibian skin bacterial communities across elevations in the Neotropics. Microbial ecology 74, 227-238, 2017.
- MH Becker, B Gratwicke. Minimum lethal concentration of sodium hypochlorite for the amphibian pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Plos one 12 (4), e0176439, 2017.
- C Escallon, MH Becker, JB Walke, RV Jensen, G Cormier, LK Belden, IT Moore. Testosterone levels are positively correlated with cloacal bacterial diversity and the relative abundance of Chlamydiae in breeding male rufous‐collared sparrows. Functional Ecology 31 (1), 192-203, 2017.
- MC Hughey, JB Walke, MH Becker, TP Umile, EA Burzynski, KPC Minbiole, A Iannetta, CN Santiago, WA Hopkins, LK Belden. Short-term exposure to coal combustion waste has little impact on the skin microbiome of adult spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer). Applied and Environmental Microbiology 82 (12), 3493-3502, 2016.
- EA Rebollar, RE Antwis, MH Becker, LK Belden, MC Bletz, RM Brucker, XA Harrison, MC Hughey, JG Kueneman, AH Loudon, V McKenzie, D Medina, KPC Minbiole, LA Rollins-Smith, JB Walke, S Weiss, DC Woodhams, RN Harris. Using “omics” and integrated multi-omics approaches to guide probiotic selection to mitigate chytridiomycosis and other emerging infectious diseases. Frontiers in microbiology 7, 68, 2016.
- LK Belden, MC Hughey, EA Rebollar, TP Umile, SC Loftus, EA Burzynski, KPC Minbiole, LL House, RV Jensen, MH Becker, JB Walke, D Medina, R Ibanez, RN Harris. Panamanian frog species host unique skin bacterial communities. Frontiers in microbiology 6, 1171, 2015.
- JB Walke, MH Becker, SC Loftus, LL House, TL Teotonio, KPC Minbiole, LK Belden. Community structure and function of amphibian skin microbes: an experiment with bullfrogs exposed to a chytrid fungus. PloS one 10 (10), e0139848, 2015.
- JB Walke, MH Becker, MC Hughey, MC Swartwout, RV Jensen, LK Belden. Most of the dominant members of amphibian skin bacterial communities can be readily cultured. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 81 (19), 6589-6600, 2015.
- MH Becker, JB Walke, S Cikanek, AE Savage, N Mattheus, CN Santiago, KPC Minbiole, RN Harris, LK Belden, B Gratwicke. Composition of symbiotic bacteria predicts survival in Panamanian golden frogs infected with a lethal fungus. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 282 (1805), 20142881, 2015.
- MH Becker, JB Walke, L Murrill, DC Woodhams, LK Reinert, LA Rollins‐Smith, EA Burzynski, TP Umile, KPC Minbiole, LK Belden. Phylogenetic distribution of symbiotic bacteria from Panamanian amphibians that inhibit growth of the lethal fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Molecular ecology 24 (7), 1628-1641, 2015.
- DC Woodhams, RA Alford, RE Antwis, H Archer, MH Becker, LK Belden, SC Bell, M Bletz, JH Daskin, LR Davis, SV Flechas, A Lauer, A Gonzalez, RN Harris, WM Holden, MC Hughey, R Ibáñez, R Knight, J Kueneman, F Rabemananjara, LK Reinert, LA Rollins-Smith, F Roman-Rodriguez, SD Shaw, JB Walke, V McKenzie. Antifungal isolates database of amphibian skin‐associated bacteria and function against emerging fungal pathogens: Ecological Archives E096‐059. Ecology 96 (2), 595-595, 2015.
- SC Loftus, LL House, MC Hughey, JB Walke, MH Becker, LK Belden. Dimension reduction for multinomial models via a Kolmogorov-Smirnov measure (KSM). Virginia Tech, 2015.
- JB Walke, MH Becker, SC Loftus, LL House, G Cormier, RV Jensen, LK Belden. Amphibian skin may select for rare environmental microbes. The ISME journal 8 (11), 2207-2217, 2014.
- MH Becker. The Role of Symbiotic Bacteria in Disease Resistance and Conservation of the Critically Endangered Panamanian Golden Frog. Virginia Tech, 2014.
- MH Becker, CL Richards-Zawacki, B Gratwicke, LK Belden. The effect of captivity on the cutaneous bacterial community of the critically endangered Panamanian golden frog (Atelopus zeteki). Biological Conservation 176, 199-206, 2014.
- MC Hughey, MH Becker, JB Walke, MC Swartwout, LK Belden. Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Virginia amphibians: within and among site variation in infection. Herpetological Review 45 (3), 428-438, 2014.
- MC Bletz, AH Loudon, MH Becker, SC Bell, DC Woodhams, KPC Minbiole, RN Harris. Mitigating amphibian chytridiomycosis with bioaugmentation: characteristics of effective probiotics and strategies for their selection and use. Ecology letters 16 (6), 807-820, 2013.
- MH Becker, RN Harris, KPC Minbiole, CR Schwantes, LA Rollins-Smith, LK Reinert, RM Brucker, RJ Domangue, B Gratwicke. Towards a better understanding of the use of probiotics for preventing chytridiomycosis in Panamanian golden frogs. Ecohealth 8, 501-506, 2011.
- MH Becker, RN Harris. Cutaneous bacteria of the redback salamander prevent morbidity associated with a lethal disease. PloS one 5 (6), e10957, 2010.
- MH Becker, RM Brucker, CR Schwantes, RN Harris, KPC Minbiole. The bacterially produced metabolite violacein is associated with survival of amphibians infected with a lethal fungus. Applied and environmental microbiology 75 (21), 6635-6638, 2009.
- RN Harris, RM Brucker, JB Walke, MH Becker, CR Schwantes, DC Flaherty, BA Lam, DC Woodhams, CJ Briggs, VT Vredenburg, KPC Minbiole. Skin microbes on frogs prevent morbidity and mortality caused by a lethal skin fungus. The ISME journal 3 (7), 818-824, 2009