Recruiting & Training

Pathogenesis of Staphylococcus chromogenes

An exciting new position for a PhD student or MSc student is available in the department of Production Animal Health at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary (UCVM). The cutting-edge and multidisciplinary research in this dynamic department focuses on the most important diseases of domestic animals. Our lab has >13 years experience in studying many aspects of bovine bacterial infections. We are currently looking for a. graduate student with strong skills or interest in molecular microbiology and pathogenesis. This position is open for people holding a degree in biological sciences, animal sciences, veterinary medicine, health sciences or equivalent degree.

Understanding pathogenesis of Staphylococcus chromogenes in intramammary infections

The successful candidate will receive training in molecular microbiology and intramammary infection biology and will become part of a large, well-funded and dynamic lab specialized in microbial diseases of dairy cattle.

Our goal is to elucidate mechanisms enabling S. chromogenes to be the most prevalent organism in bovine mastitis (and successful in causing persistent subclinical mastitis). In our in-depth studies on genomes of 440 NAS isolates, we determined that closely related S. chromogenes, S. agnetis and S. hyicus have the highest virulence potential (i.e. number of virulence genes), largely due to exotoxins, host evasion and capsular genes, of all non-aureus staphylococci (NAS). However, S. chromogenes (~50% of NAS isolates from milk) does not differ much in virulence factor profile with closely related species S. agnetis (<0.5%) and S. hyicus (<0.1%), which only represent <0.5 and <0.1%, respectively, of NAS isolates. Based on a lack of clear differences in virulence gene profile between S. chromogenes and the other Clade B NAS, despite large prevalence differences, clearly another approach is needed to identify S. chromogenes dominance in causing IMI leading to subclinical mastitis.

In this project, we will derive new knowledge regarding how S. chromogenes colonizes the teat canal and how it survives in the mammary gland, leading to novel interventions/products to specifically eliminate S. chromogenes from the udder without using conventional antimicrobials.      

For more information on these positions, please email Dr. Jeroen De Buck at jdebuck@ucalgary.ca

Check out our publications on mastitis