Applying molecular biology and functional genomic to understanding microbial virulence.

Project description: Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen, where antibiotic resistant strains are emerging worldwide (e.g. MRSA). With the costs and speed of genome sequencing decreasing rapidly, soon clinicians will be able to routinely send infectious material for rapid sequencing. What’s urgently required is a set of tools that can extract information from sequence data to help clinicians select the best treatment option for their patients and help public health officials best manage outbreaks. This project will apply molecular and cell biology (with opportunities to develop bioinformatic and mathematical modelling skills) as part of a functional genomics approach to understanding and predicting the virulence of individual S. aureus strains from their genome sequences.