"Superbugs bunny" outsmarts our immune defense.

For centuries, mothers have relied on the protective power of carrots and its ability to boost their baby’s immune systems. The toddler’s golden yellow cheeks openly signal healthy development and the ability to withstand infectious adversity. Quite similarly, the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus also counts on carotenoids to evade host immune defense, in particular being attacked and killed by human neutrophils. In fact, the characteristic golden color (Latin: aureus) conveyed by carotenoid surface pigmentation is the eponymous attribute of this bacterium.