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.

See details ↓

Updated July 22, 2026

At a glance

Field
Antimicrobial Resistance in Staphylococcus
Cohort label
Class of 2026 (2024 publications)
Papers analyzed
4,140
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 4,140
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 aureusMRSAmecApenicillin-binding protein 2aPBP2aβ-lactam antibioticsalternative mode of cell divisionpeptidoglycan architecturedivision septumPBP2PBP1transpeptidase activityseptal peptidoglycan architecturechromosomal potentiator mutationspot mutationsMRSA resensitizing agentshigh-level antibiotic resistancecodependent mechanisms
Badge
#2 of 4,140
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 metabolismarginine restrictionbiofilmsquantitative proteomicstransposon sequencingargH genearginine synthesis pathwayprotein synthesis inhibitionvancomycinmurine skin infection modelmurine bone infection modelargH mutantanti-staphylococcal antibiotics
Badge
#3 of 4,140
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

2-phenyl-1H-phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazoleantimicrobial peptide mimicsmethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureusMRSAamphiphilic conjugatescompound III13membrane selectivityrapid bactericidal efficacybacterial resistancephosphatidylglycerol targetingmembrane disruptionintracellular ROSprotein leakageDNA leakagefluorescence propertiesdynamic monitoringvancomycin comparisonin vivo efficacyGram-positive bacteriamembrane-targeting antimicrobials
Badge
#4 of 4,140
3418m 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

methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureusMRSAgallic acidantibiofilm activitybacterial adhesionpolysaccharide intercellular adhesinPIAicaAD genessarA genecrystal violet assayXTT assayalkaline phosphatase leakageβ-galactosidase leakagescanning electron microscopyMinimal Inhibitory Concentrationbiofilm formation inhibitionbacterial cell wall disruptionbacterial membrane integrity
Badge
#5 of 4,140
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

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)PyTorch_EHRelectronic health record (EHR) time-series dataMRSA culture positivity predictiondeep learninglogistic regressionlight gradient boost machine (LGBM)AUROCMemorial Hermann Hospital SystemMedical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC)-IVexternal validationrisk stratificationantimicrobial therapy optimizationpersonalized prediction
Badge
#6 of 4,140
2518m 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 Staphylococcus aureusquorum sensing interferenceAgr quorum sensing systembiofilm inhibitionbiofilm disassemblysurfactin isoformsprobiotic-derived peptidesantibiotic sensitivity enhancementmolecular networkingHT29 human intestinal cellscytotoxicity protectionenvironmental Bacillus strain screeningantibiofilm agentsadaptive cytokine responseagricultural environment isolatesS. aureus Agr backgroundsmature biofilmorganic fraction analysisprobiotic therapy
Badge
#7 of 4,140
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 bio-compositesoral bacterial biofilmscardamom essential oilcinnamon essential oilclove essential oilCarbopol 940eugenolanisaldehydecinnamaldehydecineolmolecular dockingtranscriptional regulator genesStaphylococcus aureusStaphylococcus epidermidisminimum inhibitory concentrationanti-quorum sensing activityChromobacterium violaceumviolacein inhibitionbiofilm inhibitiondrug-likeness
Badge
#8 of 4,140
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

linezolidStaphylococcus aureusoxazolidinone50S ribosomal subunit23S rRNA domain VG2576 mutationrplC generplD generplV generibosomal protein uL3ribosomal protein uL4ribosomal protein uL22cfr gene23S rRNA methylationoptrA genepoxtA geneLmrS multidrug efflux pumppeptidyl transferase centerribosomal protectionchloramphenicol-florfenicol resistance
Badge
#9 of 4,140
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 aureusbiofilm eradicationmethicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA)phage SYLKayvirus genusMRSA XN108MRSA USA300mixed-species biofilmsbacterial persistersvancomycin combination therapyperitonitis mouse modelbroad-spectrum antimicrobial activitystaphylococcal infectionsphage therapybacterial cell lysisin vivo bacterial load reduction
Badge
#10 of 4,140
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 aureusMRSAzoonotic transmissiondairy farmsOne Healthcow-environment-human interfacesraw milknasal swabsenvironmental contaminationStaphylococcal enterotoxinsexfoliative toxinsmecA genemultiplex PCRantimicrobial resistanceoxacillin resistancevancomycinphylogenetic analysisevolutionary originfarm environmental samplespublic health threat
Badge
#11 of 4,140
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 formationsub-MICsub-minimal inhibitory concentrationazithromycingentamicinciprofloxacindoxycyclineimipenemcrystal violet staining methodquantitative PCRspread plate methodbiofilm biomassviable bacterial counttotal bacterial countbiofilm-associated infectionsclinical isolatesantibiotic-induced biofilmbacterial pathogenesis
Badge
#12 of 4,140
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-PhCl (5e)ESKAPE pathogensvancomycin-resistant enterococcusmycobacteriaGram-negative bacteriaGram-positive bacteriabiofilm-associated bacteriacell wall synthesis inhibitionvancomycin binding sitesbiguanide association with cell-surface anionsoritavancinantibiotic-resistant infectionsantibiotic-tolerant bacteriabiguanidinylationvancomycinbroad-spectrum antibioticschronic infections
Badge
#13 of 4,140
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 aureusMSSAinfective endocarditisblaZ geneβ-lactamaseantistaphylococcal penicillincefazolinoxacillinminimum inhibitory concentrationhigh bacterial inoculumvegetation bacterial densityleft-sided endocarditisfirst-month mortalityblaZ-positive strainsphenotypic characterizationnative valve endocarditisprosthetic valve endocarditis
Badge
#14 of 4,140
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 screensStaphylococcus aureusdalbavancinlipoglycopeptideantibiotic susceptibilityantibiotic tolerancegene fitness quantificationKapBShikimate pathwayessential genestransposon-based knockoutsublethal antibiotic concentrationssynergistic drug combinationsgene knockdownhigh-throughput screening
Badge
#15 of 4,140
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 S aureus (MRSA)methicillin-sensitive S aureus (MSSA)clindamycin resistancetetracycline resistancetrimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) resistancemacrolide resistancecommunity-onset infectionsoutpatient isolatesVeterans Health Administrationspatiotemporal trendsgeographic heterogeneitymultidrug resistancebivariate mappingempirical therapyregional variationtemporal trends 2010-2019
Badge
#16 of 4,140
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 StaphylococcusMRSAhospitalized horsesveterinary hospitalzoonotic transmissionnosocomial infectionantimicrobial resistanceveterinary personnelinfection controlStaphylococcus aureusequine patientshospital epidemiologycolonization screeningteaching hospital
Badge
#17 of 4,140
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

NorAefflux pump antiportersproton-coupled transportStaphylococcus aureusdrug resistancecryo-EMGlu222Asp307inward-occluded conformationC-terminal domainN-terminal domainsubstrate binding pocketinterdomain tethering interactionsprotonation statesdeprotonation mechanismcoupling stoichiometryantibiotic expulsion
Badge
#18 of 4,140
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

antimicrobial resistanceAMRarea deprivation indexADIsocioeconomic disparitiesspatial autocorrelationgeographic clustersAmpC β-lactamasemethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureusMRSAbacterial culture dataelectronic health recordsgeocodingDallas-Fort Worth metropolitan areaprevalence standardizationsocioeconomic indexhealthcare access disparitiespoverty and AMRspatial epidemiology
Badge
#19 of 4,140
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 mastitisbovine mastitismultidrug resistancemethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureusMRSAmecA genetetK geneaacA-aphD geneblaZ genenuc genesomatic cell countmannitol salt agardisc diffusion methodLincomycin resistanceampicillin resistanceCefoxitin resistancedairy cattle breedsraw milk contaminationantibiotic resistance genes
Badge
#20 of 4,140
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

Staphylococcus epidermidisMALDI-TOF MSmatrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometryantimicrobial resistance profilingnosocomial pathogenmachine learningantimicrobial susceptibility testingfeature selectionAUROCAUPRCShapley Additive exPlanationsprotein biomarkersexternal validationrapid resistance screeningpredictive models
Badge

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 2026-07-22.

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