Serious, drug-resistant staph infections are a growing problem in health care in the United States and across the globe. In a coordinated effort to stop these superbugs, investigators from the University of Rochester Medical Center have been selected to lead an ambitious, five-year project, with an emphasis on infections from complex orthopedic surgeries such as joint replacement, fracture repair, or trauma.

AOTrauma, part of the Switzerland-based AO Foundation, awarded $3 million to a team led byStephen l. Kates, M.D., professor of Orthopaedics at URMC. The URMC has been studying ways to combat Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) for several years. Edward M. Schwarz, Ph.D., a co-investigator on the AOTrauma project, the Burton Professor of Orthopaedics, and director of the URMC Center for Musculoskeletal Research, is leading the development of a vaccine to prevent MRSA infections following bone and joint surgery.