A novel drug for Staphylococcal biofilms - Harry Smith Vacation Studentship

AMR is expected to cause 10,000,000 deaths a year by 2050. Staphylococcus aureus is an organism of particular concern in the context of AMR, due to its ability to cause infection in, and adapt to, diverse host niches. Furthermore, up to 80% of S. aureus infections are caused by biofilms- that is a community of cells attached to a substrate (i.e. catheter, pacemaker) or each other, and embedded within a matrix of extracellular substance. Biofilms also pose a therapeutic impediment and are notoriously difficult to treat. As such, S. aureus is designated by the WHO as a high priority pathogen for development of new antibiotics. This project will investigate if an inhibitor of bacterial cell wall synthesis can be used to inhibit Staphylococcal biofilms.