Gui Becker
(Principal Investigator)
Current Lab Members
Shannon Buttimer
(PhD Candidate, Ecology)
Contact Information
Department of Biology
514 Mueller Laboratory
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA 16802
smb8305(at)psu.edu
Education
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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA – BERKELEY (Berkeley, CA, USA) - BS, Molecular Environmental Biology, 2019
Research Interests
My research interests lie at the intersection of climate change, disease ecology, and biodiversity conservation. I aim to understand how environmental changes influence ecological processes and disease dynamics across different scales. Central to my research is exploring the interactions between drought, the skin microbiome, and amphibian susceptibility to the waterborne fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Using Brazilian pumpkin toadlets (Brachycephalus spp.) from the Atlantic Forest as a model, I aim to elucidate the complex interactions between climate, host, and pathogen. Through field sampling, experiments, and microbiome analysis, my research seeks to uncover adaptive responses and feedback mechanisms that inform conservation strategies and enhance our understanding of ecological resilience amidst global climate change.
Selected Publications
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Buttimer S, Moura-Campos D, Greenspan SE, Neely WJ, Ferrante L, Toledo LF, et al. (2024). Skin microbiome disturbance linked to drought-associated amphibian disease. Ecology Letters, 27, e14372.
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Buttimer S, Hernández-Gómez O, Rosenblum EB. (2021). Every bacterium is everywhere, but the salamander selects: metacommunity structure of the cutaneous microbiomes of San Francisco Bay Area salamanders. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 97: fiab162.
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Buttimer S, Stepanova N, Womack M. (2020). Evolution of the unique anuran hindlimb skeleton in relation to microhabitat, locomotor mode, and jump performance. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 60: 1330-1345.
Jack Boyette
(PhD Candidate, Ecology)
Contact Information
Department of Biology
514 Mueller Laboratory
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA 16802
jlb7997(at)psu.edu
Education
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BERRY COLLEGE (Rome, GA, USA) - BS, Biology & Pre-Veterinary Animal Science, 2020
Research Interests
I am an early career biologist and lifelong adventurer fascinated by the ecology and evolution of amphibians. As a PhD student in the Becker Lab, I aim to investigate mechanisms which equip amphibian populations to adapt to ecological changes such as disease emergence and habitat alteration. My past research interests include the evolution of frog vision and the impact of artificial selection on ruminant immune gene diversity.
Selected Publications
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Boyette JL, Bell RC, Fujita MK, Thomas KN, Streicher JW, Gower DJ, Schott RK. (2024). Diversity and molecular evolution of non-visual opsin genes across environmental, developmental, and morphological adaptations in frogs, Molecular Biology and Evolution, msae090.
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Peters S, Wilson J, Boyette JL. (2020). Differential expression of IGF1, IGFBP5, MSTN and MYH1 across different age classes in American Quarter Horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 94: 103226.
Laura Kauer-Schuck
(MS Student, Ecology)
Contact Information
Department of Biology
514 Mueller Laboratory
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA 16802
lxk5406(at)psu.edu
Education
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UNIVERSIDADE DO VALE DO RIO DOS SINOS (São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil) - BS, Biology, 2022
Research Interests
I'm interested in the ecological dynamics of bacterial communities residing on amphibian skin, focusing on how these symbiotic organisms confer adaptive advantages to amphibians in an era marked by disease-driven population declines. My research combines laboratory and field experiments with molecular and microbiological techniques to investigate the resistance mechanisms within the unique bacteriome of a particular Brazilian frog species. Additionally, I examine how environmental factors influence these bacterial communities and their ability to provide protective benefits to their amphibian hosts.
Selected Publications
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Schuck LK, Neely WJ, Buttimer SM. et al. (2024). Effects of grassland controlled burning on symbiotic skin microbes in Neotropical amphibians. Scientific Reports, 14: 959.
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Schuck LK, Moser CF, Farina RK, dos Santos NLP, Tozetti AM. (2022). Self-made home: how and where does the anuran Rhinella dorbignyi build its retreat sites. Iheringia, Série Zoologia, 112, e2022021.
Carolina Lambertini
(Postdoctoral Researcher)
Contact Information
Department of Biology
514 Mueller Laboratory
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA 16802
cql6006(at)psu.edu
Education
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UNIVERSIDADE DE CAMPINAS (Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil) - PhD, Animal Biology, 2019
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UNIVERSIDADE DE CAMPINAS (Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil) - MS, Animal Biology, 2014
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UNIVERSIDADE METODISTA DE PIRACICABA (São Paulo, Brazil) - BS, Biology 2010
Research Interests
I am a Brazilian researcher with over 14 years of dedication to the study of frogs. My research interests lie in the Ecology of Infectious Diseases and Amphibian Conservation, particularly focused on the dynamics of chytridiomycosis, an amphibian disease. My research journey has led me to explore the occurrence patterns of this fungal pathogen within two tropical systems (Atlantic Forest and Amazon Rainforest) in Brazil. Currently, I am focused on understanding the role of host skin properties in conferring resistance / tolerance among species recovering from the devastating impacts of chytridiomycosis. Specifically, I am studying the antimicrobial peptides produced by a Panamanian frog species, characterizing their chemical compositions and exploring their influence on the fungal infection intensity experienced by the host over time. Additionally, I am involved in the Atelopus Survival Initiative, as one of the coordinators of the Infectious Diseases Group Task Force. Our primary focus is analyzing and defining priority actions for the conservation of the Atelopus, which represents the amphibian genus most affected by chytridiomycosis.
Selected Publications
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Lambertini C, Ernetti JR, Missassi AFR, Jorge RF, Leite DS, Lima AP, Toledo LF (2022) Chytrid fungus in amphibians from the lowland Brazilian Amazon. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 152: 115-125.
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Lambertini C, Becker CG, Belasen A, Valencia-Aguilar A, Almeida CHLN, Betancourt-Roman CM, Rodriguez D, Leite DS, Oliveira IS, Gasparini JLR, Ruggeri-Gomes J, Mott T, Jenkinson TS, James TY, Zamudio KR, Toledo LF (2021) Biotic and abiotic determinants of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis infections in amphibians of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Fungal Ecology, 49: 100995.
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Lambertini C, Becker CG, Bardier C, Leite DS, Toledo LF (2017) Spatial distribution of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in South American caecilians. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 124: 109–116.
Karen Paniagua Torres
(Undergraduate Researcher)
Contact Information
kap6269(at)psu.edu
Education
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THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY (University Park, PA, USA) - BS, Wildlife and Fisheries Science, 2025
Research Interests
I am an undergraduate student at Penn State interested in population ecology and genomics of amphibians. As a research student in the Becker Lab, my hope is to learn various skills to further my research experience and in the future help with the conservation of amphibians. My past research experiences include working with mitochondrial DNA with Cuban Tree Frogs and analyzing body condition in red-backed salamanders.
Selected Publications
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Brosnan EB, Paniagua Torres KA, Martin KR, Atkinson MS, Glorioso BM, Waddle H, Savage AE. (2024). Tracing invasion routes of Cuban treefrogs into Louisiana using mitochondrial DNA. In prep.
Former Lab Members
Nereyda Falconi Lopez
(Former Postdoctoral Researcher)
Current Affiliation
Postdoctoral Scholar in the Carlo Lab at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
Daniel Medina
(Former Postdoctoral Researcher)
Current Affiliation
Resident Lecturer at The School for Field Studies - Bocas del Toro & Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama
Wesley Neely
(Former PhD Student,
Graduated 2023)
Current Affiliation
Postdoctoral Researcher in the Rodriguez Lab at Texas State University - San Marcos, TX, USA
Samantha Siomko
(Former MS Student,
Graduated 2023)
Current Affiliation
PhD Student in the Wigley Lab at The University of Bristol, England
Sasha Greenspan
(Former Postdoctoral Researcher)
Current Affiliation
Supervisory Research Administrator at the Marcus Autism Center at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
Diego Moura-Campos
(Former MS Student,
Graduated 2020)
Current Affiliation
PhD Student in the Head Lab at The Australian National University - Canberra, Australia
Renato Augusto Martins
(Former MS Student,
Graduated 2020)
Current Affiliation
Research Technician at Universidade Estadual de São Carlos, SP, Brazil
Vanessa Marshall
(Former Lab Member)
Current Affiliation
PhD Candidate in the Earley Lab at The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
José Wagner Ribeiro Junior
(Former Postdoctoral Researcher)
Current Affiliation
WildMon, Dale, TX, USA
Ananda Brito de Assis
(Former Visiting Postdoctoral Researcher)
Current Affiliation
UNESP, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
Veronica Saenz
(Former Postdoctoral Researcher)
Our lab conducts research in subtropical and temperate rainforests.
Aparados da Serra National Park,
Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Photo © Gui Becker