Staphylococcus epidermidis —key to understanding biofilms, commensalism, and more

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Abstract
Staphylococcus epidermidis , a ubiquitous inhabitant of human skin, has been known for decades for its capacity to form biofilm-associated infections on indwelling medical devices and has developed into a leading bacterium used in biofilm research. Early investigation on the biofilm matrix focused on S. epidermidis “slime,” and currently, S. epidermidis represents one of the most prevalent organisms for in-vivo biofilm infection models. More recently, S. epidermidis has also become a standard for the investigation of host-commensal interactions on human skin, especially the immune response to colonization that is often called “commensal immunity.” Finally, there are recent efforts to use S. epidermidis as a topically applied vehicle for probiotic pathogen exclusion efforts as well as anti-cancer and vaccination strategies.
Funding Information
  • Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), U.S. National Institutes of Health (1ZIAAI000904)

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