Vision

There is a broad spectrum within which staphylococci interfere with human life. genmedics offers services and products across this spectrum to improve life quality.

Staphylococci, including the Staphylococcus epidermidis, represent the majority of our skin flora. Today Staphylococcus epidermidis is regarded as a predominant species in causing chronic polymer-associated infections. Staphylococcus epidermidis can form a biofilm on nearly any synthetic polymer, which protects the embedded staphylococci against host response mechanisms and antibiotics.

About thirty percent of mankind have Staphylococcus aureus as a pathogenic organism at their nasal mucous membrane. Staphylococcus aureus is a serious infectious agent which causes wound infections and is increasingly identified as the pathogenic cause of endocarditis, osteomyelitis, acute sepsis, pneumonia and blood poisoning. Staphylococcus aureus can bind itself to blood- and matrix-proteins.

In addition to the numerous virulence factors involved in the pathogenesis of staphylococci, an increasing resistance to antibiotics can be observed in staphylococci. In veterinary medicine staphylococci are the main cause for mastitis.

Interestingly, certain staphylococcal strains of the skin flora produce antibiotics and enzymes directed against the aforementioned Gram-positive pathogens. Examples of these antibiotics and enzymes include the lantibiotics epidermin and gallidermin and the staphylolytic enzyme lysostaphin. Lantibiotics are secreted into the medium by a unique transport system, which can also be used for heterologous therapeutic proteins.

In contrast, Staphylococcus carnosus represents an apathogenic organism lacking all the pathogenic factors. Due to its enzymatic activity it is used in the food industry, for example as a starter culture in the ripening process of dry sausage like Italian salami.

Over the course of more than twenty years, genmedics, in collaboration with the University of Tübingen, Department of Microbial Genetics, has developed a distinct expertise in the bacterial genus staphylococcus. Part of genmedics´ vision involves interfering with the pathological mechanisms of staphylococci while on the other hand using the apathogenic Staphylococcus carnosus as a safe system for expression of therapeutic proteins and gene therapeutics. Thus genmedics` experience focuses upon staphylococci to improve life quality.