The secret war of staphylococcus aureus - Professor Tracy Palmer

Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium that colonises approximately 30% of the human population at any one time, has now been shown to attack other bacteria, according to ground-breaking research from the University of Dundee.

The bacterium which often inhabits the skin of humans and animals can cause a wide range of illnesses including minor skin infections to pneumonia, sepsis and toxic shock syndrome.

Staphylococcus aureus is also one of the world’s most common causes of hospital-acquired infections.

The research, led by Professor Tracy Palmer, Head of the Division of Molecular Microbiology in the School of Life Sciences at the University, suggests that whilst Staphylococcus can live commensally on their human hosts, it possesses a dark side - secreting the toxin EsaD through its type VII secretion system to target competing strains.