Abstract 1365 Phenotypic studies of a phosphoglycolate phosphatase in Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen that is responsible for over 20,000 annual deaths in the United States, which accounts for more deaths than those from AIDS, Tuberculosis, and viral Hepatitis combined. With the continual rise of multidrug resistant strains such as MRSA and VRSA, it is vital to investigate virulence factors as potential novel antibiotic targets. We are studying a phosphoglycolate phosphatase (PGPase) from S. aureus that has been established as a virulence factor.