Staphylococcus aureus is a major opportunistic pathogen, commonly colonizing the anterior nares. The nasal microbiota is probably the most important determinant of S. aureus colonization could be a potential risk factor for S. aureus infection but also a source of novel anti-bacterials or commensals that could compete against S. aureus.
S. aureus colonizes the human nose from infancy throughout adulthood, but the overall composition of the nasal microbiota changes especially in the first year. During adulthood the nasal microbiota appears to be relatively stable even though we know that there is a certain degree of dynamics.
Lately, there has been great focus on coagulase negative staphylococcus species, particularly S. lungdunensis, but also other CoNS that possess the ability to inhibit S. aureus growth in a number of ways. My group has investigated the staphylococcal communities of the nose, and I will present our recent findings and relate these to the current knowledge of the nasal microbiota.