Michele Maltz-Matyschsyk

Assistant Professor In-Residence

Molecular and Cell Biology

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Education: B.S. in Biology: Iona University, New Rochelle, NY. Ph.D in Microbiology (MCB): University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT. Post Doctoral Fellow, Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases: Yale University, New Haven, CT.

Research Interests: My research interests center on microbial interactions within biological systems, particularly focusing on host–microbe and microbe–microbe dynamics. I have explored symbiotic and pathogenic roles of bacteria such as Aeromonas veronii and Mucinivorans hirudinis and investigated the microbiome’s influence on pathogen establishment in invertebrate hosts like the Tsetse fly. At UConn, my work has expanded to include the immune response to infection stress, the role of extracellular metallothionein (eMT) in inflammation, and the development of monoclonal antibodies as therapeutics. I am actively studying bacterial metallothionein (MT), using PmtA from Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a model to understand its contributions to virulence, antimicrobial resistance, and evasion of host immune defenses. My research also includes the development of diagnostic tools using Grating-coupled Fluorescence Plasmonic (GCFP) microarray technology to identify biomarkers for complex inflammatory diseases such as MIS-C and Kawasaki Disease.

Selected Publication:

M. Maltz-Matyschsyk, C. Melchiorre, Michael Lynes. Extracellular Metallothionein: An Alarmin Regulating Lymphocyte Gene Expression, Cell Signaling, and Immune Function. In Press Cell Stress and Chaperones July 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.cstres.2025.100106

M. Maltz-Matyschsyk, C. Melchiorre, Michael Lynes. Bacterial Metallothionein, PmtA, a novel stress protein found on the bacterial surface of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and involved in management of oxidative stress and phagocytosis. mSphere May 7, 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/msphere.00210-24

M. Maltz-Matyschsyk, C. Melchiorre, K.W. Herbst, A. H. Hogan, K.Dibble, B. O’Sullivan1, J. Graf, A. Jadhav, D. A. Lawrence, W.T. Lee, J. C. Salazar, M.A. Lynes. Development of a Biomarker Signature using Grating coupled Fluorescence Plasmonic Microarray for diagnosis of MIS-C. Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol., 31 March 2023 https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2023.1066391

A. Thees, K. Pietrosimone, C. Melchiorre, J. Marden, J. Graf, M. Lynes, M. Maltz-Matyschysyk. PmtA Regulates Pyocyanin Expression and Biofilm Formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Front. Microbiol. 2021 Nov. 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.789765

B. Weiss1*, M. Maltz¹, A. Vigneron, Y. Wu, K. Walter, M.O’Neill, J. Wang, and S. Aksoy. (*1BLW and MAM contributed equally to this work.) Colonization of the tsetse fly midgut with commensal Kosakonia cowanii Zambiae inhibits trypanosome infection establishment. PLOS Pathogens February 2019:doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1007470

M. Maltz, B. L. LeVarge and J. Graf. Identification of iron and heme utilization genes in Aeromonas and their role in the colonization of the leech digestive tract. Front. Microbiol. 2015 July 28. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2015.00763.

Nelson M, Bomar L, Maltz M and Graf J. Mucinivorans hirudinis gen. nov., sp. nov., an anaerobic, mucin-degrading bacterium isolated from the digestive tract of the medicinal leech, Hirudo verbana. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol. 2015 Jan 6. pii: ijs.0.000052. doi: 10.1099/ijs.0.000052.

I. Whitaker, M. Maltz, M. Siddall, J.Graf. Characterization of the Digestive Tract Microbiota of Hirudo orientalis (Medicinal Leech) and Antibiotic Resistance Profile. Plastic and reconstructive surgery 2014 Mar: doi 10.1097/01.prs.0000438461.06217.bb

M. Maltz, Lapierre, P, Bomar L, Graf J. Metagenomic Analysis of the Medicinal Leech Gut Microbiota. Front Microbiol. 2014 April (17) 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00151.

Brian Weiss, Jingwen Wang, Michele Maltz, Yineng Wu, Serap Aksoy. Trypanosome infection establishment in the tsetse fly gut is influenced by microbiome-regulated host immune barriers. PLos Pathogens, April 2013, (9) 4 e1003318

Maltz M, Weiss B, Aksoy S., OmpA-mediated biofilm formation is essential for a commensal symbiont to colonize the tsetse fly gut. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2012 Nov;78 (21)

B.Weiss, Maltz, M and Aksoy S., Obligate symbionts activate immune system development in the tsetse fly. J Immunol. 2012 Apr 1;188(7):3395-403. Epub 2012 Feb 24.

Lindsey Bomar, Michele Maltz, Sophie Colston and Joerg Graf, Directed Culturing of Mic-roorganisms using Metatranscriptomics. 10.1128/mBio.00012-11 5 April 2011 mBio vol. 2 no. 2

M. Maltz, Graf J., The Type II Secretion System is Essential for Erythrocyte Lysis and Gut Colonization of the Leech Digestive-Tract Symbiont Aeromonas veronii. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2011 Jan;77(2):597-603. Epub 2010 Nov 19.

Rio RV, Maltz M, McCormick B, Reiss A, Graf J, Symbiont succession during embryonic development of the European medicinal leech, Hirudo verbana. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2009 Nov;75(21):6890-5.