Angelika Gründling

Dr Angelika Gründling is a collaborator with the Centre for Infection Prevention & Management (CIPM), working in work-stream 2; ‘Network for clinical infection diagnostics’. In particular she will be co-supervising Matt Percy, one of the Centre’s PhD students.

The project will investigate the variation in the production and modifications of cell wall polymers in clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus. Bacterial surface structures such as these cell wall polymers are important for adhesion, colonization and during the infection process. Analyzing the variations and differences in these surface structures and how they correlates with the adhesive properties of different clinical S. aureus isolates might provide us with clues as to which strains are especially prone to adhere to hospital equipment, colonize people and cause particular types of infections.

Angelika Gründling is a Reader of Molecular Microbiology. Her research programme is centered in understanding the synthesis and function of cell wall components in a range of Gram-positive pathogens including S. aureus and Listeria monocytogenes. In particular Angelika’s work focuses on the function of the vital cell wall polymer lipoteichoic acid. Her work uses molecular biology, biochemical and structural approaches to gain a more detailed understanding how these pathogens assemble their cell wall; a structure, which is essential for bacterial growth and the interaction with the human host.