William (Zach) Muniz - Grads Out There

William (Zach) Muniz photo

Did you know that there is a disease that threatens over a dozen bat populations across North America? William (Zach) Muniz (He/ Him), a graduate student in Wildlife Science with a focus in wildlife disease and genomics, hopes to solve this very problem.


The disease, known as White Nose Syndrome, is caused by a deadly fungus known as Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd). Considered by wildlife scientists to be one of the worst wildlife diseases in the modern era, the fatal syndrome has killed millions of bats across North America and Canada. “This research aligns with the urgent need to combat WNS and safeguard bat populations, recognizing the interconnectedness of species within cave ecosystems and the importance of preserving biodiversity.” Out of the dozen bat species identified with WNS, Zach and his team have chosen to focus on the North American hibernating bat.


Their current strategy, or RNA interference (RNAi) approach, involves utilizing double stranded RNA (dsRNA) to target Pd cells and disrupt their essential functions. While the focus is on the bats, Zach and his team must also be aware of the other species who reside in the same cave environments. “Cave environments are particularly sensitive, housing not only bats but also myriad other organisms integral to their ecological niches…Our strategy aims to disrupt essential fungal functions, offering a potential solution to mitigate WNS spread while safeguarding the broader cave environment.”
Zach has enjoyed getting to work with his team as well as faculty. “I am extremely excited and humbled to be working under two badass women: Dr. Jenny Urbina and (soon to be) Dr. Emily Dziedzic, as well as our fearless leader Dr. Taal Levi…These three are responsible for the development of this wildlife disease intervention and I cannot wait to learn more from them.” 

Learn more about WNS:
whitenosesyndrome.org