Novel antibiotic resistance pathways in methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus is a major global problem for public healthcare, veterinary medicine and the food industry. Methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is emerging as a zoonotic pathogen in animal production worldwide. The increasing incidence of MRSA in animals such as household pets, horses and pigs is of particular concern as these animals may act as reservoirs for transmission of MRSA to humans. S. aureus also causes a major problem for the food industry as there is a high incidence of S. aureus mastitis in dairy cattle which is extremely costly. The aim of this project is to investigate novel antibacterial drug targets in S. aureus, and establish the mechanisms through which these proteins are involved in antibiotic susceptibility.