Topics and Trends in Most Cited Antimicrobial Resistance in Staphylococcus Papers

Ranked by citations 18 months after publication

Class of 2026 (Papers Published in 2024)

What topics and trends defined most-cited Antimicrobial Resistance in Staphylococcus research in the Class of 2026?

Staphylococcus resistance research in the Class of 2026 shifted decisively toward reserve antibiotic efficacy and phenotypic tolerance. Vancomycin saw a 7-fold rise alongside surges in dalbavancin, linezolid, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa co-infections, while novel topics like antibiotic tolerance emerged. Conversely, traditional biofilm eradication and mecA gene surveillance contracted.

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Updated July 29, 2026

At a glance

Field
Antimicrobial Resistance in Staphylococcus
Cohort label
Class of 2026 (2024 publications)
Papers analyzed
4,139
Papers ranked
20
Top topics in ranked papers
Vancomycin resistance, Pseudomonas aeruginosa co-infection, biofilm formation, antibiotic tolerance, dalbavancin
Publication window
Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024
Eligibility
Research articles; reviews excluded
Citation window
18 months post-publication
18m citation range
18–56
Data source
OpenAlex · Retrieved Jul 2026
License
CC BY 4.0

Rankings

20 papers ranked by 18-month citation count

#1 of 4,139
5618m citations

Two codependent routes lead to high-level MRSA

Abimbola Feyisara Adedeji-Olulana, Katarzyna Wacnik et al.Science202410.1126/science.adn1369

Abimbola Feyisara Adedeji Olulana, Katarzyna Wacnik, Jamie K. Hobbs, Simon J. FosterUniversity of Sheffield, United Kingdom

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)mecAPenicillin-binding protein 2aBeta-lactam antibioticsalternative cell division modepeptidoglycan architecturedivision septumPBP2PBP1transpeptidase activityseptal peptidoglycanChromosomal potentiator mutationsMRSA resensitizing agentscodependent resistance mechanismshigh-level antibiotic resistance
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#2 of 4,139
3918m citations

Restriction of arginine induces antibiotic tolerance in Staphylococcus aureus

Jeffrey A Freiberg et al.Nature Communications202410.1038/s41467-024-51144-9

Jeffrey A. Freiberg, Eric P. SkaarVanderbilt University Medical Center, United States

Staphylococcus aureusantibiotic tolerancearginine restrictionarginine metabolismbiofilmsquantitative proteomicstransposon sequencingargH genearginine synthesis pathwayprotein synthesis inhibitionvancomycinMurine skin infection modelmurine bone infection modelargH mutantinvasive infectionsantibiotic treatment failure
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#3 of 4,139
3818m citations

Development of Membrane-Targeting Fluorescent 2-Phenyl-1<i>H</i>-phenanthro[9,10-<i>d</i>]imidazole-Antimicrobial Peptide Mimic Conjugates against Methicillin-Resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>

Ting Xu et al.Journal of Medicinal Chemistry202410.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00436

Ruige Yang, Shangshang Qin, Yong GuoUniversity of South China, China

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)2-phenyl-1H-phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazoleantimicrobial peptide mimicamphiphilic conjugatescompound III13membrane selectivitybactericidal efficacyphosphatidylglycerol targetingMembrane disruptionintracellular ROS generationprotein leakageDNA leakagefluorescence propertiesdynamic monitoringvancomycin comparisonGram-positive bacteriaClinical MRSA isolatesBacterial resistancein vivo efficacy
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#4 of 4,139
3518m citations

Gallic acid exerts antibiofilm activity by inhibiting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus adhesion

He Sang et al.Scientific Reports202410.1038/s41598-024-68279-w

Fei WangLiaocheng University, China

gallic acidMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)Biofilm formationAnti-biofilm activitybacterial adhesionPolysaccharide intercellular adhesinPIAicaADicaAicaDsarAMinimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)Crystal violet assayXTT assayalkaline phosphatase leakageβ-galactosidase leakageScanning electron microscopybacterial cell wall disruptionMembrane disruption
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#5 of 4,139
2618m citations

<i>Bacillus subtilis</i> -derived peptides disrupt quorum sensing and biofilm assembly in multidrug-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>

Kyle R Leistikow et al.mSystems202410.1128/msystems.00712-24

Kyle R LeistikowMarquette University, United States

Bacillus subtilis 6D1Multidrug-resistant S. aureus (MDR S. aureus)biofilm inhibitionBiofilm eradicationQuorum sensing inhibitionsurfactin isoformsuncharacterized peptidemolecular networkingantibiotic sensitivity enhancementprobiotic-derived peptidesHT29 human intestinal cellscytotoxicity preventionenvironmental Bacillus isolatesfour Agr backgroundsadaptive cytokine responseAntimicrobial resistance genesstrain-specific antibiofilm activity
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#6 of 4,139
2518m citations

Deep learning model for personalized prediction of positive MRSA culture using time-series electronic health records

Masayuki Nigo et al.Nature Communications202410.1038/s41467-024-46211-0

Masayuki NigoUniversity of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, United States

MRSA culture positivity predictionPyTorch_EHRelectronic health record time-series datadeep learninglogistic regressionlight gradient boost machineAUROCMemorial Hermann Hospital SystemMIMIC-IV datasetexternal validationrisk stratificationantimicrobial therapy optimizationpersonalized predictionpatient-specific datatwo-week prediction window
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#7 of 4,139
2418m citations

Resistance to linezolid in Staphylococcus aureus by mutation, modification, and acquisition of genes

Wenjing Yang et al.The Journal of Antibiotics202410.1038/s41429-024-00778-4

Jiancheng XuThe First Hospital of Jilin University, China

linezolid resistanceStaphylococcus aureusoxazolidinone50S ribosomal subunit23S rRNA domain VG2576 mutationrplC generplD generplV generibosomal protein uL3ribosomal protein uL4ribosomal protein uL22cfr genecfr methylaseoptrA genepoxtA geneLmrS efflux pumppeptidyl transferase centerribosomal protective mechanism23S rRNA methylation
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#8 of 4,139
2418m citations

Exploring essential oil-based bio-composites: molecular docking and in vitro analysis for oral bacterial biofilm inhibition

Niamat Ullah et al.Frontiers in Chemistry202410.3389/fchem.2024.1383620

Adnan AminGomal University, Pakistan

essential oil-based nanocompositesoral bacterial biofilmscardamom essential oilcinnamon essential oilclove essential oilCarbopol 940eugenolanisaldehydecinnamaldehydecineolMolecular dockingTranscriptional regulatorStaphylococcus aureusStaphylococcus epidermidisMinimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)Quorum sensing inhibitionChromobacterium violaceumviolacein inhibitionbiofilm inhibitiondiabetic patients
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#9 of 4,139
2218m citations

LysSYL: a broad-spectrum phage endolysin targeting Staphylococcus species and eradicating S. aureus biofilms

He Liu et al.Microbial Cell Factories202410.1186/s12934-024-02359-4

Shuguang Lu, Xiancai RaoArmy Medical University, China

LysSYLphage endolysinStaphylococcus aureusMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)Biofilm eradicationphage SYLKayvirus genusMRSA XN108MRSA USA300mixed-species biofilmsBacterial persistersvancomycin combination therapyperitonitis mouse modelantibacterial spectrumbacterial cell lysisin vivo efficacystaphylococcal infections
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#10 of 4,139
2218m citations

Zoonotic linkage and environmental contamination of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in dairy farms: A one health perspective

Mithu Chandra Roy et al.One Health202410.1016/j.onehlt.2024.100680

Ferdaus Mohd Altaf HossainSylhet Agricultural University, Bangladesh

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)zoonotic linkagedairy farmsOne Healthcow-environment-human interfaceraw milkcow nasal swabsNasal swabsenvironmental contaminationStaphylococcal enterotoxinsexfoliative toxin genesmecAMethicillin resistanceVancomycin susceptibilitymultiplex PCRphylogenetic analysisAntimicrobial resistanceZoonotic transmissionshared evolutionary origin
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#11 of 4,139
2218m citations

Antimicrobial Sub-MIC induces Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation without affecting the bacterial count

Raghda Elawady et al.BMC Infectious Diseases202410.1186/s12879-024-09790-3

Raghda ElawadyAlexandria University, Egypt

Staphylococcus aureusBiofilm formationSubinhibitory antibiotic concentrationsazithromycingentamicinciprofloxacindoxycyclineimipenemCrystal violet assayReal-time quantitative PCRspread plate methodbiofilm biomassviable bacterial countClinical isolatesantimicrobial-induced biofilmbiofilm quantitation techniques
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#12 of 4,139
2218m citations

Biguanide-Vancomycin Conjugates are Effective Broad-Spectrum Antibiotics against Actively Growing and Biofilm-Associated Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative ESKAPE Pathogens and Mycobacteria

Harrison P Rahn et al.Journal of the American Chemical Society202410.1021/jacs.4c06520

Lynette Cegelski, Paul A. WenderStanford University, United States

biguanide-vancomycin conjugatesV–C6–Bg-PhClESKAPE pathogensvancomycin-resistant enterococcusmycobacteriabiofilm-associated bacteriaGram-negative bacteriaGram-positive bacteriacell wall synthesis inhibitionbiguanide association with cell-surface anionsvancomycin binding sitesoritavancinantibiotic-resistant infectionsBacterial persistersbiguanidinylationbroad-spectrum antibioticsPersistent infections
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#13 of 4,139
2218m citations

β-Lactam Inoculum Effect in Methicillin-Susceptible <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> Infective Endocarditis

Baptiste Jean et al.JAMA Network Open202410.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.51353

Pierre DelobelCentre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Toulouse, France

β-lactam inoculum effectMethicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA)MSSAinfective endocarditisblaZ geneβ-lactamaseantistaphylococcal penicillincefazolinoxacillinbacterial vegetationhigh bacterial inoculumMinimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)Left-sided infective endocarditisfirst-month mortalityblaZ-positive strainsphenotypic characterizationnative valve endocarditisprosthetic valve endocarditis
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#14 of 4,139
2118m citations

Genome-wide CRISPRi screens for high-throughput fitness quantification and identification of determinants for dalbavancin susceptibility in <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>

Xue Liu, Vincent de Bakker, Maria Victoria Heggenhougen et al.mSystems202410.1128/msystems.01289-23

Xue Liu, Vincent de Bakker, Maria Victoria HeggenhougenShenzhen University, China

CRISPRiCRISPRi-seqgenome-wide screenStaphylococcus aureusdalbavancinlipoglycopeptideantibiotic susceptibilityantibiotic tolerancegene fitness quantificationKapBShikimate pathwayessential genestransposon-based knockoutSubinhibitory antibiotic concentrationsAntibiotic synergygene knockdowndirect selectionantimicrobial strategies
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#15 of 4,139
2018m citations

Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns of Outpatient <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> Isolates

Margaret Carrel et al.JAMA Network Open202410.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.17199

Margaret CarrelUniversity of Iowa, United States

Staphylococcus aureusAntimicrobial resistancenon-β-lactam antibioticsMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA)clindamycin resistancetetracycline resistanceTrimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole resistancemacrolide resistanceCommunity-acquired infectionsClinical isolatesVeterans Health Administrationspatiotemporal trendsGeographic heterogeneityMultidrug resistance (MDR)bivariate mappingempirical therapylincosamidessulfonamides
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#16 of 4,139
2018m citations

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp. investigation in hospitalized horses and contacting personnel in a teaching veterinary hospital

Giovane Olivo et al.Journal of Equine Veterinary Science202410.1016/j.jevs.2024.105031

Luiza S. ZakiaSao Paulo State University (Unesp), Brazil

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp.hospitalized horsesveterinary teaching hospital personnelZoonotic transmissionNasal colonizationMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococciequine hospital surveillanceAntimicrobial resistance screeninghuman-animal interfacemecAcross-contamination in hospital settingOccupational exposure
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#17 of 4,139
1818m citations

Proton-coupled transport mechanism of the efflux pump NorA

Jianping Li et al.Nature Communications202410.1038/s41467-024-48759-3

Da‐Neng Wang, Nathaniel J. TraasethNew York University, United States

NorAStaphylococcus aureusproton-coupled antiportAntimicrobial resistancecryo-EM structure determinationGlu222Asp307inward-occluded conformationprotonation statesC-terminal domainN-terminal domaininterdomain tetheringsubstrate binding pocketcoupling stoichiometrydrug efflux mechanismhydrogen bond networkdeprotonation-triggered conformational change
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#18 of 4,139
1818m citations

Socioeconomic Disparities and the Prevalence of Antimicrobial Resistance

Lauren N Cooper et al.Clinical Infectious Diseases202410.1093/cid/ciae313

Lauren N Cooper, Richard J MedfordUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, United States

Area Deprivation IndexSpatial autocorrelationGeocoding of residential addressesAmpC β-lactamaseMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)Electronic health recordsBacterial culture surveillanceGeographic clustering of infectionsSocioeconomic disparitiesAntimicrobial resistance prevalenceDallas-Fort Worth metropolitan areaNeighborhood deprivation and infection riskHealthcare access disparitiesPopulation-standardized case countsCrowding and sanitation as AMR drivers
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#19 of 4,139
1818m citations

Alarming multidrug resistance in Staphylococcus aureus isolated from raw milk of cows with subclinical mastitis: Antibiotic resistance patterns and occurrence of selected resistance genes

Ijaz Ul Haq et al.PLoS ONE202410.1371/journal.pone.0301200

Ijaz Ul Haq, Mustafa Kamal, Ayman A. Swelum, Shehryar Khan, Patricio De los Ríos-Escalante, Τahir UsmanAbdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Pakistan

Staphylococcus aureussubclinical mastitisMultidrug resistance (MDR)Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)mecAblaZ genetetKaacA-aphD genesomatic cell countDisk diffusionmannitol salt agarthermonuclease (nuc) genePCR-based molecular identificationCefoxitin resistanceLincomycin resistanceBovine mastitisHolstein FriesianSahiwalCholistaniraw milk contamination
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#20 of 4,139
1818m citations

Repurposing MALDI-TOF MS for effective antibiotic resistance screening in Staphylococcus epidermidis using machine learning

Michael Ren et al.Scientific Reports202410.1038/s41598-024-75044-6

Michael RenSyosset High School, United States

MALDI-TOF MSStaphylococcus epidermidisAntimicrobial resistance patternsmachine learningAntimicrobial susceptibility testingfeature selectionAUROCAUPRCShapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP)protein biomarkersnosocomial pathogenexternal validationpredictive modelsmass spectrometry-based diagnosticsAntimicrobial resistance screening
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Dominant research themes and year-over-year shifts in Antimicrobial Resistance in Staphylococcus

What Topics Define the Class of 2026?

Research in the Class of 2026 for antimicrobial resistance in Staphylococcus is anchored by last-resort therapeutic options, biofilm mechanics, and polymicrobial interactions. Vancomycin emerges as the most prominent specific therapeutic topic, featured in 14% of highly cited literature, supported by increasing clinical attention to lipoglycopeptides and second-line salvage agents such as dalbavancin and linezolid. A major mechanistic domain is biofilm biology—encompassing biofilm formation (10%) and biofilm inhibition (6%)—which underlines the critical clinical challenge of chronic, implant-related, and device-associated staphylococcal recalcitrance. Parallelly, research prominently features Pseudomonas aeruginosa (10%), signaling an expanding investigative emphasis on polymicrobial co-infections and interspecies bacterial interactions within complex wound and pulmonary clinical settings. Furthermore, non-classical resistance phenotypes such as phenotypic antibiotic tolerance (8%) and non-Aureus coagulase-negative species like Staphylococcus epidermidis (6%) represent key active investigative fronts, demonstrating a broad systemic expansion beyond classical MRSA genotypic surveillance toward holistic infectious disease management, rapid diagnostics, and multi-targeted antimicrobial therapeutic interventions.

Leading research themes
Leading research themes

How Did Topics Shift from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026?

Comparing the Class of 2025 (2023 publications) to the Class of 2026 (2024 publications) reveals a clear pivot from traditional resistance gene surveillance toward reserve antibiotic clinical efficacy and phenotypic tolerance mechanisms. Vancomycin experienced a dramatic 7-fold increase in prevalence, rising from 1 paper (2%) to 7 papers (14%) among top-cited literature, accompanied by solid gains for reserve antimicrobials dalbavancin and linezolid (both rising from 1 to 4 papers). Phenotypic recalcitrance emerged as a primary focus, with antibiotic tolerance showing the largest surge from zero baseline mentions in 2023 to 8% normalized frequency in 2024, alongside new appearances for small colony variants, mobile genetic elements, and antibiofilm agents. In contrast, studies centered strictly on biofilm eradication experienced a 50% decline (dropping from 4 to 2 papers), while classical genetic markers like the mecA gene saw a slight contraction (4 to 3 papers). This shift reflects a maturing field moving beyond basic genotypic identification toward combatting refractory clinical infections and preserving salvage therapeutic regimens.

How topics shifted year over year
How topics shifted year over year
Methodology

PRI identifies high-impact research using a transparent, topic-agnostic framework applied consistently across scientific domains. Bibliographic records are drawn from OpenAlex, including publication dates, citation relationships, and document types.

This ranking covers the Class of 2026 cohort: journal articles published in 2024. Reviews and other non-article document types are excluded to ensure comparability.

Research impact is quantified with an 18-month post-publication citation window—the number of citing works published within 18 months of each paper's publication date. This metric captures early impact while controlling for publication age.

An LLM-based relevance classifier then reviews each candidate's title and abstract to confirm substantive alignment with the target domain. Only papers classified as relevant appear in the final ranking.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459

Full methodologyGitHubbioRxiv preprint

Cite this ranking

Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Antimicrobial Resistance in Staphylococcus Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/antimicrobial-resistance-in-staphylococcus/2026. Accessed 2026-09-03.

Methodology
Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459