Abstract

Bacterial survival strategies and their impact in clinics My research explores how bacterial physiology and host interactions contribute to competition, infection and survival.

During my Master’s, I investigated the regulation and function of the Type VI secretion system in Acinetobacter baylyi, including the role of its multiple VgrG proteins in effector transport. My PhD research focused on mechanisms underlying persistent Staphylococcus infections.

I will discuss staphylococcal biofilms on medical implants, abscess communities in bone, and antibiotic tolerance in metabolically inactive bacteria. To tackle those bacteria, I was combining antibiotics with sugars to form deliverable nanoparticles.

Finally, I will present work investigating how Staphylococcus epidermidis skin colonization shapes immune responses to subsequent bone infection and its relevance for conventional animal models.