Pheno-Genomics

• Bacterial and host factors are both key determinants of the kinetics of S. aureus bacteremia (SAB) and are crucial in determining patient outcomes. Despite their clear clinical importance, knowledge of how these factors interact to cause life-threatening disease is still lacking.
• A major limitation of previous research into SAB the focus on isolated aspects of host immunity or bacterial pathogenicity that facilitate the persistence and dissemination of S. aureus. Most studies have ignored the vast genetic and phenotypic diversity that S. aureus exhibits over time and at a global scale.
• This study aims to overcome these limitations through an integrated approach that accounts for this variability and considers both sides of these interactions in parallel

The study aims include:

• Defining the key bacterial phenotypes associated with patient outcomes and how they vary across populations and under different antibiotic treatment regimens
• Determining how bacterial phenotypes affect the ability of the immune system to protect the host from bloodstream infection and severe outcomes
• Validating and implementing the findings from the above aims to improve patient outcomes following SAB.