Research Activities – Professor T.J. Foster

Staphylococcus aureus

Timothy James Foster, B.A., Ph.D.(BRIST.), S.F.T.C.D.(1981), - Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Director of Postgraduate Teaching and Learning in Microbiology.

E-mail: tfoster@tcd.ie

• Molecular pathogenesis of staphylococcal infections

  Genetics of S. aureus. Molecular characterization of surface proteins of Staphylococcus aureus that interact with ligands in the extracellular matrix and on the surface of mammalian cells and platelets. Analysis of mechanisms by which S.aureus adheres to and activates platelets, and colonizes the nasal epithelium. Analysis of surface protein structure and function. Understanding the role of surface proteins in evading innate immune responses in the infected host. Construction of strains with single and multiple mutations causing lack of potential virulence factors for analysis in vitro and in vivo infection models. Development of vectors for efficient allelic exchange mutagenesis. Understanding the restriction systems that protect S.aureus from foreign DNA.

Research Personnel

Research Fellows:
Dr. I. Monk monki@tcd.ie

Postgraduate Researchers:
Ms. M. Mulcahy mmulcah@tcd.ie
Ms. N. McCormack nmccorm@tcd.ie
Mr. S. Heilbronner heilbros@tcd.ie
Ms. O. Fleury fleuryo@tcd.ie