Staff Profile

Current research

I am a postdoctoral research associate in Dr Charles Winterhalter's lab. I am investigating how the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus responds to DNA damage during infection, from both the host and from antibiotic treatments.

Academic background

Postdoctoral research associate, Newcastle University (2021-2026): I worked in Prof Tracy Palmer's lab on the S. aureus Type VII secretion system (T7SS), investigating the impact of T7SS substrates in bacterial competition, in biofilms, and during colonisation using a range of models.

PhD - University of Sheffield (2017-2022): I carried out my PhD in Prof Simon Foster's lab, co-supervised by Prof Stephen Renshaw, investigating S. aureus host-pathogen interactions and the effects of antibiotic intervention, using a larval zebrafish infection model.

MRes - Molecular Microbiology, Newcastle University (2016-2017)

Laboratory technician - Sainsbury Laboratory, Cambridge University (2015-2016)

BSc - Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Sheffield (2012-2015)

• Articles

  • Ulhuq F, Tooke AK, Mendonca C, Casabona G, Habersetzer J, Yang Y, Gomes MC, Alcock F, Mostowy S, Palmer T. The Staphylococcus aureus LXG-domain toxins EsxX and SAR0287 do not promote virulence in a zebrafish infection model. Microbiology 2025, 171(12).
  • Tooke AK, Hodges RE, Pyrah JF, Bayles KW, Renshaw SA, Foster SJ. Tetracycline and Oxacillin Act Synergistically on Biofilms and Display Increased Efficacy In Vivo Against Staphylococcus aureus. Current Microbiology 2024, 81, 447.
  • Salamaga B, Kong L, Pasquina-Lemonche L, Lafage L, von und zur Muhlen M, Gibson JF, Grybchuk D, Tooke AK, Panchal V, Culp EJ, Tatham E, O'Kane ME, Catley TE, Renshaw SA, Wright GD, Plevka P, Bullough PA, Han A, Hobbs JK, Foster SJ. Demonstration of the role of cell wall homeostasis in Staphylococcus aureus growth and the action of bactericidal antibiotics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2021, 118, e2106022118.
  • Gibson JF, Prajsnar TK, Hill CJ, Tooke AK, Serba JJ, Tonge RD, Foster SJ, Grierson AJ, Ingham PW, Renshaw SA, Johnston SA. Neutrophils use selective autophagy receptor Sqstm1/p62 to target Staphylococcus aureus for degradation in vivo in zebrafish. Autophagy 2020, 17(6), 1448-1457.
  • Martins BMC, Tooke AK, Thomas P, Locke JCW. Cell size control driven by the circadian clock and environment in cyanobacteria. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci 2018, 115(48), E11415-E11424.

• Book Chapter

  • Tooke AK, Foster SJ. Using the Zebrafish Larval Model of Infection to Investigate Antibiotic Efficacy and Combination Treatments Against Staphylococcus aureus. In: Gillespie SH, ed. Antibiotic Resistance Protocols. New York, NY: Humana Press, 2024, pp.1-10.