Simon Foster (old)

Professor Simon Foster
Florey Institute coordinator, Professor of Molecular Microbiology

Department: Molecular Biology & Biotechnology
Contact: S.Foster@sheffield.ac.uk
Phone: +44 (0)114 222 4411

About

I have worked for over 20 years on the molecular physiology of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), a major cause of death and disease in humans. The spread of antibiotic resistance (MRSA, VRSA) highlights its importance. Research has concentrated on a number of areas including stress responses, vaccine development, essential genes, host-pathogen interaction and cell wall architecture/dynamics. The research spans from fundamental biology to the discovery and development of targets for novel therapy and prophylaxis.

Research in my laboratory centres on two main themes associated with bacterial molecular physiology:

1. How S. aureus interacts with its host.
In particular we have been determining the role of human innate defences in the control of S. aureus. We have also identified a number of potential novel targets to be exploited as vaccine components. The role and use of these for prophylaxis are the subject of current investigations.

2. Bacterial cell wall structure and function.
The cell wall peptidoglycan is essential for the life of most bacteria and its synthesis is the target of important antibiotics such as penicillin and vancomycin. We are using atomic force microscopy and other super-resolution microscopy techniques to determine the architecture and dynamics of peptidoglycan across the bacteria. This has revealed a hitherto unexpected complexity leading to new models of cell wall growth and division.

Key publications

McVicker, G., Prajsnar, T.K., Williams, A., Wagner, N.L., Boots, M., Renshaw, S.A., Foster, S.J. (2014) Clonal expansion during Staphylococcus aureus infection dynamics reveals the effect of antibiotic intervention. PLoS Pathogens 10(2):e1003959.
Turner, R.D., Hurd, A.F., Cadby, A., Hobbs, J.K. & Foster, S.J. (2013) Cell wall elongation mode in Gram-negative bacteria is determined by peptidoglycan architecture. Nature Communications 4, 1496 - 1504.
Prajsnar, T.K., Hamilton, R., Garcia-Lara, J., McVicker, G., Williams, A., Boots, M., Foster, S.J. & Renshaw, S.A. (2012) A privileged intraphagocyte niche is responsible for disseminated infection of Staphylococcus aureus in a zebrafish model. Cellular Microbiology 14, 1600 - 1619
Wheeler, R., Mesnage, S., Boneca, I.G., Hobbs, J.K. & Foster, S.J. (2011) Super-resolution microscopy reveals cell wall dynamics and peptidoglycan architecture in ovococcal bacteria. Molecular Microbiology, 82, 1096 - 1109
Steele, V.R. Bottomley, A.L., Garcia-Lara, J., Kasturiarachchi, J. & Foster, S.J. (2011) Multiple essential roles for EzrA in cell division of Staphylococcus aureus. Molecular Microbiology 80, 542 - 555
Turner, R.D., Ratcliffe, E.C., Wheeler, R., Golestanian, R., Hobbs, J.K. & Foster, S.J. (2010) Peptidoglycan architecture can specify division planes in Staphylococcus aureus. Nature Communications 1(3), 1-9
Gill, M.R., Garcia-Lara, J., Foster, S.J., Smythe, C., Battaglia, G. & Thomas, J.A. (2009) A ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complex for direct imaging of DNA structure in living cells. Nature Chemistry. 1, 662 - 667.
Hayhurst, E.J., Kailas, L., Hobbs, J.K. & Foster, S.J. (2008) Cell wall peptidoglycan architecture in Bacillus subtilis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA 105, 14603 -14608.
Prajsnar, T.K., Cunliffe, V.T., Foster, S.J. & Renshaw, S.A. (2008) A novel vertebrate model of Staphylococcus aureus infection reveals phagocyte-dependent resistance of zebrafish to non-host specialized pathogens. Cellular Microbiology 10, 2312 - 2325.
Clarke, S.R., Mohamed, R., Bian, L., Routh, A.F., Kokai-Kun, J., Mond, J.J., Tarkowski, A. & Foster S.J. (2007) The Staphylococcus aureus surface protein IsdA mediates resistance to innate defenses of human skin. Cell Host and Microbe 1, 199 - 212.

See also