Research Projects

Staphylococcus aureus is armed with an array of virulence factors and causes a wide range of infections for which treatments are hampered by escalating multi-drug resistance. Although integral to the human microbiome, with one-third of the human population asymptomatically colonised, SA is also the deadliest bacterial pathogen. Using large-scale genomics analyses, we have identified mutations that recurrently arise in clinical isolates of S. aureus. This project will investigate the impact of key mutations that are predicted to increase the resistance of S. aureus to last-line antimicrobials and enhance its virulence. The project will involve genetic manipulation of S. aureus, assessment of antimicrobial resistance, and the use of in vitro and ex vivo models of infection.

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