In recent years, antibiotic-resistant strains of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, which is the most common cause of skin and soft tissue infections such as cellulitis, have emerged and are creating a serious public health concern. If we are to develop therapies that provide an alternative to antibiotics, greater understanding is needed of the immune response to Staphylococcus aureus skin infection. Researchers have now provided new insight into this by studying a mouse model of the condition.