Insights into Colonization, Transformation and the Transition to Disease of Streptococcus pneumoniae And Possible Targets for Therapeutic Interventions (Completed 2013)

The studies described in this thesis explore the physiology of upper respiratory tract colonization by S. pneumoniae and S. pyogenes. We have shown that colonization is associated with biofilm formation and examined the effects of co-colonization on genetic exchange.  Additional studies have investigated the virulence and inflammatory potential of biofilm bacteria, and identified factors influencing cellular egress from biofilm communities and the transition to acute disease. The remaining chapters explore the mechanism of action of the human milk protein lipid complex HAMLET and its potential for antimicrobial adjutancy.

Anders Hakansson, PhD