Jim O'Gara completed his PhD in the laboratory of L. Kieran Dunican at the University of Galway investigating the genetic basis of tryptophan overproduction in Corynebacterium glutamicum. During his first postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Texas Medical School Houston in Samuel Kaplan's laboratory he discovered a novel relationship between the activity of electron transport chain redox carriers and transcriptional regulation of photosynthesis gene expression, and a new mechanism of resistance to the heavy metal tellurite in Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Jim moved back to Ireland in 1997 for a postdoctoral fellowship at Trinity College Dublin in the laboratory of Charles J. Dorman during which he revealed how fimB promoter-driven transcription across the fim switch impacts phase variable expression of type 1 fimbriae in E. coli. Jim was appointed to a lectureship in microbiology at RCSI in 1999 and established a research programme investigating virulence and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) mechanisms in staphylococci, including MRSA. In 2005, he was appointed Senior Lecturer in Microbiology at University College Dublin. At UCD he was Head of Graduate Studies in the School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science and a Conway Fellow from 2007-2012. Returning to Galway as Professor of Infectious Disease Microbiology in 2012, Jim served as Head of Microbiology from 2013-2016 and as a member of the Governing Authority from Feb 2021- Feb 2025. Prof O'Gara's research group are focused on the identification and characterisation of new drug targets, from which new therapeutic interventions can be developed for the improved treatment of AMR and chronic infections. Notable scientific contributions from his group include i) the first description of the major transcriptional regulator of staphylococcal biofilm production (IcaR), ii) the identification of three novel biofilm mechanisms mediated by the fibronectin binding proteins, the major autolysin and coagulase in S. aureus, iii) elucidating the relationship between methicillin resistance, biofilm and virulence in S. aureus, iv) new therapeutic approaches to the treatment of chronic MRSA infections, including beta-lactam nucleoside combinations, and (v) the discovery of new drug targets to increase the effectiveness of beta-lactams against MRSA (including alanine transport systems and succinyl-CoA synthetase-controlled regulation of lysine succinylation in the proteome). Prof O'Gara was awarded a DSc from the National University of Ireland in 2018, and was elected a Member of the Royal Irish Academy (MRIA) in 2022.

Overcoming antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in MRSA and other AMR pathogens. More than 25,000 people die because of AMR infections in the EU each year. The global number of deaths may be as high as 700,000. In the United States, there are more than 80,000 invasive MRSA infections every year responsible for 11,000 deaths (2013 Centre for Disease Control report). MRSA ranks as the 6th most common cause of bacterial infection and #1 in terms of mortality, despite most patients being treated with currently available anti-staphylococcal drugs. New drug development has not been able to keep pace with the emergence of so-called superbugs and the 2016 UK-government commissioned ONeill report warned that, without intervention, infections caused by AMR pathogens will be responsible for more deaths than cancer in 2050.

Penicillin-type antibiotics target the bacterial cell wall and remain among the safest and most effective antibiotics. However resistance is widespread. The O'Gara research group have identified new drug targets to increase the effectiveness of penicillin-type antibiotics, even against resistant bacteria like MRSA.The biological functions of these new drug targets and their mechanistic role in antibiotic resistance are currently being investigated using funding from Research Ireland (Frontiers for the Future Programme and IRC Postgraduate Scholarships), HRB (Investigator Led Project Grants). These targets include alanine transporters required for MRSA cell wall integrity, succinyl-CoA synthetase which controls resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics via post-translational regulation of lysine succinylation in the proteome, and nucleoside transporters which control purine homeostasis required for high-level antibiotic resistance in MRSA. All of these new drug targets have the potential to impact antibiotic resistance in other AMR pathogens on the World Health Organisations list of global priority pathogens (the ESKAPE group: Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii , Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp). Chronic biofilm-associated infections. The increased incidence of chronic biofilm-associated infections in healthcare systems has serious consequences in patient morbidity, mortality and treatment costs. Hospital-acquired infections are the 4th leading cause of disease and 70% are associated with medical devices. Implants are highly susceptible to the formation of biofilm, making bacteria resistant to the immune system and antibiotics. Biofilms are also involved in diabetic foot infections (DFIs), which area major complication of diabetes, with peripheral neuropathy often contributing to delayed diagnosis of these chronic infections. Biofilms are enriched with highly antibiotic-tolerant persister cells frequently rendering antibiotic treatment ineffective, which has major consequences for the patient, as well as placing an enormous economic burden on healthcare systems.

Media/Press Releases:

The Conversation - Antibiotic resistance

17th January 2023. New method to treat superbug infections

Breakthrough in treating MRSA infections

a target=_blank rel=nofollow href=https:journals.asm.orgdoi10.1128mbio.02478-22https:journals.asm.orgdoi10.1128mbio.02478-22 and discussed in the American Society for Microbiology (ASM)a target=_blank rel=nofollow href=https:podcasts.apple.comuspodcastthis-week-in-microbiologyid422332846This Week in Microbiology (TWiM) Dec 29th 2022 podcast.

29th June 2021.a target=_blank rel=nofollow href=https:www.nuigalway.ieabout-usnews-and-eventsnews-archive2021junenui-galway-study-identifies-new-ways-to-treat-antibiotic-resistant-mrsa-superbug.htmlhttps:www.nuigalway.ieabout-usnews-and-eventsnews-archive2021junenui-galway-study-identifies... NUI Galway Study Identifies New Ways to Treat Antibiotic Resistant MRSA Superbug

15th November 2016.a target=_blank rel=nofollow href=https:www.rte.ienews20161115831844-mrsahttps:www.rte.ienews20161115831844-mrsa Galway researchers find penicillin aids MRSA fight9th July 2015.a target=_blank rel=nofollow href=https:tinyurl.com427wjbz9https:tinyurl.com427wjbz9 .Breaking up MRSA - new discovery could reduce device-related infections in hospitals.