The host response to Staphylococcus aureus infection

Professor Floto's team are focused on understanding how the innate immune system interacts with Staphylococcus aureus. Specifically, they will examine how this bacterium can disrupt macrophage function to avoid intracellular killing, how autophagy is activated and may be subverted, and how cellular invasion is sensed and signalled to the wider immune system. They are particularly interested in how signalling through nerve growth factor beta coordinates effector immune responses during infection and may potentially be therapeutically stimulated to enhance bacterial clearance.