Staff Profile

Current research

I am working in Prof Tracy Palmer's lab on the Staphylococcus aureus Type VII secretion system (T7SS), investigating the role of putative T7SS secreted toxins in bacterial competition or virulence using a larval zebrafish infection model.

Academic background

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)

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

• Articles

  • 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.