Defining the factors that determine patient outcome following Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia

The presence of bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, in our blood can have catastrophic effects and result in the death of up to 30% of infected patients. As rates of antibiotic resistance rise, there have been attempts to develop an S. aureus vaccine. These have failed because we do not fully understand how this bacterium causes severe disease. 

Preliminary work has identified bacterial features that can determine whether a patient survives their bacteraemia and I will characterise these features to determine their activity. 

This study will transform our understanding of how this bacterium causes disease. The findings of this study can also help in the design of future vaccines and in the development of new ways to treat infections.