LBEP contribution to Staphylococcus GBI 2017

Swansea, Wales, September 14-15

A few LBEP members attended the Staphylococcus GBI 2017 meeting held in Swansea, Wales, in September 14-15. The meeting was a great opportunity to catch up with the excellent research about Staphylococcus done in the UK and Ireland.

Amy Richards had the opportunity to give an oral presentation entitled "The coagulation phenotype of non-aureus, coagulase-positive Staphylococci is mediated by the von Willebrand factor-binding protein (vWbp)".  Amy explored the molecular basis of  coagulation across different Staphylococcus species, and how this phenotypic trait seems to be mediated by vWbp rather than by coagulase, which is actually absent in most non-aureus Staphylococci. Amy's research has particularly focused on Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, using it as a model to study the role of vWbp.

Emily Parr and Manouk Vrieling also presented some of their work in two posters entitled, respectively, "Characterization of a bacteriophage from avian Staphylococcus aureus associated with innate immune evasion" and "Identification of LukPQ: a novel, equid-adapted leukocidin of Staphylococcus aureus".

Well done all !