# Topics and Trends in Most Cited Antimicrobial Resistance in Staphylococcus Papers, Class of 2026

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/antimicrobial-resistance-in-staphylococcus/2026*

## 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.

## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| 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

| Rank | Title | Authors | Corresponding authors | Affiliation | Journal | 18m citations | DOI |
| ---: | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---: | --- |
| 1 | Two codependent routes lead to high-level MRSA | Abimbola Feyisara Adedeji-Olulana, Katarzyna Wacnik, Lucia Lafage, Laia Pasquina-Lemonche, Mariana Tinajero-Trejo, Joshua A F Sutton, Bohdan Bilyk, Sophie E Irving, Callum J Portman Ross, Oliver J Meacock, Sam A Randerson, Ewan Beattie, David S Owen, James Florence, William M Durham, David P Hornby, Rebecca M Corrigan, Jeffrey Green, Jamie K Hobbs, Simon J Foster | Abimbola Feyisara Adedeji Olulana, Katarzyna Wacnik, Jamie K. Hobbs, Simon J. Foster | University of Sheffield, United Kingdom | Science | 56 | 10.1126/science.adn1369 |
| 2 | Restriction of arginine induces antibiotic tolerance in Staphylococcus aureus | Jeffrey A Freiberg, Valeria M Reyes Ruiz, Brittney D Gimza, Caitlin C Murdoch, Erin R Green, Jacob M Curry, James E Cassat, Eric P Skaar | Jeffrey A. Freiberg, Eric P. Skaar | Vanderbilt University Medical Center, United States | Nature Communications | 39 | 10.1038/s41467-024-51144-9 |
| 3 | 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, Xiaoting Yan, Ayue Kang, Longhua Yang, Xinhui Li, Yue Tian, Ruige Yang, Shangshang Qin, Yong Guo | Ruige Yang, Shangshang Qin, Yong Guo | University of South China, China | Journal of Medicinal Chemistry | 38 | 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00436 |
| 4 | Gallic acid exerts antibiofilm activity by inhibiting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus adhesion | He Sang, Han Jin, Peng Song, Wei Xu, Fei Wang | Fei Wang | Liaocheng University, China | Scientific Reports | 34 | 10.1038/s41598-024-68279-w |
| 5 | Deep learning model for personalized prediction of positive MRSA culture using time-series electronic health records | Masayuki Nigo, Laila Rasmy, Bingyu Mao, Bijun Sai Kannadath, Ziqian Xie, Degui Zhi | Masayuki Nigo | University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, United States | Nature Communications | 25 | 10.1038/s41467-024-46211-0 |
| 6 | <i>Bacillus subtilis</i> -derived peptides disrupt quorum sensing and biofilm assembly in multidrug-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> | Kyle R Leistikow, Daniel S May, Won Se Suh, Gabriel Vargas Asensio, Adam J Schaenzer, Cameron R Currie, Krassimira R Hristova | Kyle R Leistikow | Marquette University, United States | mSystems | 25 | 10.1128/msystems.00712-24 |
| 7 | Exploring essential oil-based bio-composites: molecular docking and in vitro analysis for oral bacterial biofilm inhibition | Niamat Ullah, Syed Zia Ul Hasnain, Rabia Baloch, Adnan Amin, Aygun Nasibova, Dragica Selakovic, Gvozden Luka Rosic, Sokhib Islamov, Nasibakhon Naraliyeva, Nidal Jaradat, Afat O Mammadova | Adnan Amin | Gomal University, Pakistan | Frontiers in Chemistry | 24 | 10.3389/fchem.2024.1383620 |
| 8 | Resistance to linezolid in Staphylococcus aureus by mutation, modification, and acquisition of genes | Wenjing Yang, Taoran Chen, Qi Zhou, Jiancheng Xu | Jiancheng Xu | The First Hospital of Jilin University, China | The Journal of Antibiotics | 24 | 10.1038/s41429-024-00778-4 |
| 9 | LysSYL: a broad-spectrum phage endolysin targeting Staphylococcus species and eradicating S. aureus biofilms | He Liu, Xuemei Wei, Zhefen Wang, Xiaonan Huang, Mengyang Li, Zhen Hu, Kexin Zhang, Qiwen Hu, Huagang Peng, Weilong Shang, Yi Yang, Yuting Wang, Shuguang Lu, Xiancai Rao | Shuguang Lu, Xiancai Rao | Army Medical University, China | Microbial Cell Factories | 22 | 10.1186/s12934-024-02359-4 |
| 10 | Zoonotic linkage and environmental contamination of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in dairy farms: A one health perspective | Mithu Chandra Roy, Tonmoy Chowdhury, Muhammad Tafazzal Hossain, Md Mahmudul Hasan, Eman Zahran, Md Masudur Rahman, Kazi Mohammad Ali Zinnah, Md Mahfujur Rahman, Ferdaus Mohd Altaf Hossain | Ferdaus Mohd Altaf Hossain | Sylhet Agricultural University, Bangladesh | One Health | 22 | 10.1016/j.onehlt.2024.100680 |
| 11 | Antimicrobial Sub-MIC induces Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation without affecting the bacterial count | Raghda Elawady, Aliaa G Aboulela, Ahmed Gaballah, Abeer A Ghazal, Ahmed N Amer | Raghda Elawady | Alexandria University, Egypt | BMC Infectious Diseases | 22 | 10.1186/s12879-024-09790-3 |
| 12 | 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, Xinyu Liu, Madeline B Chosy, Jiuzhi Sun, Lynette Cegelski, Paul A Wender | Lynette Cegelski, Paul A. Wender | Stanford University, United States | Journal of the American Chemical Society | 22 | 10.1021/jacs.4c06520 |
| 13 | β-Lactam Inoculum Effect in Methicillin-Susceptible <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> Infective Endocarditis | Baptiste Jean, Maelys Crolle, Candice Pollani, Adèle Le Guilloux, Guillaume Martin-Blondel, Pierre Tattevin, Audrey Le Bot, David Luque Paz, François Guérin, Vincent Cattoir, Laurence Armand-Lefevre, Signara Gueye, François-Xavier Lescure, Xavier Duval, Clémence Massip, Pierre Delobel | Pierre Delobel | Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Toulouse, France | JAMA Network Open | 22 | 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.51353 |
| 14 | 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, Marita Torrissen Mårli, Anette Heidal Frøynes, Zhian Salehian, Davide Porcellato, Danae Morales Angeles, Jan-Willem Veening, Morten Kjos | Xue Liu, Vincent de Bakker, Maria Victoria Heggenhougen | Shenzhen University, China | mSystems | 21 | 10.1128/msystems.01289-23 |
| 15 | Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns of Outpatient <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> Isolates | Margaret Carrel, Matthew Smith, Qianyi Shi, Shinya Hasegawa, Gosia S Clore, Eli N Perencevich, Michihiko Goto | Margaret Carrel | University of Iowa, United States | JAMA Network Open | 20 | 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.17199 |
| 16 | Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp. investigation in hospitalized horses and contacting personnel in a teaching veterinary hospital | Giovane Olivo, Luiza Stachewski Zakia, Márcio Garcia Ribeiro, Maria de Lourdes Ribeiro de Souza da Cunha, Danilo Flávio Morais Riboli, Priscila Luiza Mello, Nathalia Bibiana Teixeira, César Erineudo Tavares de Araújo, José Paes Oliveira-Filho, Alexandre Secorun Borges | Luiza S. Zakia | Sao Paulo State University (Unesp), Brazil | Journal of Equine Veterinary Science | 20 | 10.1016/j.jevs.2024.105031 |
| 17 | Proton-coupled transport mechanism of the efflux pump NorA | Jianping Li, Yan Li, Akiko Koide, Huihui Kuang, Victor J Torres, Shohei Koide, Da-Neng Wang, Nathaniel J Traaseth | Da‐Neng Wang, Nathaniel J. Traaseth | New York University, United States | Nature Communications | 18 | 10.1038/s41467-024-48759-3 |
| 18 | Socioeconomic Disparities and the Prevalence of Antimicrobial Resistance | Lauren N Cooper, Alaina M Beauchamp, Tanvi A Ingle, Marlon I Diaz, Abdi D Wakene, Chaitanya Katterpalli, Tony Keller, Clark Walker, Seth Blumberg, Sanjat Kanjilal, Jonathan H Chen, Alexander P Radunsky, Zachary M Most, John J Hanna, Trish M Perl, Christoph U Lehmann, Richard J Medford | Lauren N Cooper, Richard J Medford | University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, United States | Clinical Infectious Diseases | 18 | 10.1093/cid/ciae313 |
| 19 | 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, Mustafa Kamal, Ayman A Swelum, Shehryar Khan, Patricio R De Los Ríos-Escalante, Tahir Usman | Ijaz Ul Haq, Mustafa Kamal, Ayman A. Swelum, Shehryar Khan, Patricio De los Ríos-Escalante, Τahir Usman | Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Pakistan | PLoS ONE | 18 | 10.1371/journal.pone.0301200 |
| 20 | Repurposing MALDI-TOF MS for effective antibiotic resistance screening in Staphylococcus epidermidis using machine learning | Michael Ren, Qiang Chen, Jing Zhang | Michael Ren | Syosset High School, United States | Scientific Reports | 18 | 10.1038/s41598-024-75044-6 |

## Topic trends

### 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*

### 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*

## 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
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