Understanding Staphylococcus capitis Skin Colonisation in Atopic Dermatitis
Investigate how Staphylococcus capitis colonises skin and its role in atopic dermatitis. Characterise bacterial factors influencing skin adhesion and disease mechanisms to uncover new therapeutic targets for chronic inflammatory skin disease.
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Project Description
Project Overview
Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition marked by painful, itchy lesions and a disrupted skin microbiome. This project focuses on Staphylococcus capitis, found on the skin of 40% of adults with moderate atopic dermatitis, investigating how it colonises the stratum corneum and affects skin biology. Previous work has identified key adhesive proteins mediating Staphylococcus aureus interactions but little is known about S. capitis colonisation strategies.
What You Will Do
The project will explore molecular mechanisms that enable S. capitis to adhere to and colonise the skin's outermost layer, characterising bacterial surface factors and their interactions with skin proteins. Functional assays, microbiological and molecular biology techniques will be employed to elucidate bacterial factors driving colonisation and their role in atopic dermatitis pathology.
Expected Outcomes
The research expects to identify novel bacterial determinants of S. capitis adhesion and colonisation, contributing to better understanding of skin microbiome dysbiosis in atopic dermatitis. This may highlight new targets for therapeutic intervention to modulate skin colonisation and inflammation.
Why This Matters
Understanding how S. capitis colonises skin and influences atopic dermatitis progression addresses a key gap in knowledge about skin microbiota’s role in chronic inflammatory diseases. Insights could inform development of improved treatments for atopic dermatitis, a common and debilitating condition affecting millions worldwide.
Eligibility
Supervisor Profile
Prof Joan Geoghegan is a leading microbiologist at the University of Birmingham specializing in the bacterial surface proteins of Staphylococcus aureus and their roles in infection and immune evasion. Her research combines molecular microbiology and immunology to understand host-pathogen interactions in skin infections. She has a significant impact with numerous highly cited publications in the field.