MB Faculty Awarded a New Faculty Research Development Grant

Rosana Ferreira was awarded a Spring 2024 New Faculty Research Development Award by the KU Office of Research.  The title of the proposal is “Bacterial interactions and their role in the skin microbiome composition.”

Ferreira explains, “The skin is the most extensive and exposed organ of the body and is considered a first line of defense against environmental conditions, including exogenous pathogens. It is now understood that an altered skin microbiota correlates with several types of human diseases, supporting the idea that interactions among commensals and between commensals and pathogens can influence the balance between health and disease. However, the mechanisms of these interactions are still very poorly understood. By studying these interactions we previously shown that a major commensal, Cutibacterium acnes, secretes molecules that inhibit biofilm formation by S. hominis and S. lugdunensis, two other members of the skin microbiome, without affecting their growth. The goal for this project is to determine the impact that these molecules have on S. lugdunensis host colonization and virulence, as well as its effect on host response to infection.”