Brief Definit ive Report Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive

extra-cellular bacterium responsible for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. S. aureus colonizes>20 % of the population, often with no adverse effects, but can become problematic upon breakage of epithelial barriers (Wertheim et al., 2004; Verkaik et al., 2009). In the United States,>20 % of all blood infections diagnosed in hospitals are S. aureus infections (Wisplinghoff et al., 2004). This has been further exacerbated by the rise of antibiotic-resistant strains such as methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), account-ing for 94,360 of all reported cases and 18,650 deaths annually (Wisplinghoff et al., 2004; Klevens et al., 2007). There is currently no approved vac