was evaluated across a dose range using an identical regimen of alhydrogel adjuvant doses of 3 10 30 100 or 300 u03bcg im were studied in parallel primary vaccination day 0 was followed by an identical boost on study day 21 mice were infected 14 days after boost study day 35 murine model of sssi all animal studies were performed per the approved animal use policies of labiomed at harbor ucla balb c mice harlan were vaccinated as above a subcutaneous skin soft tissue abscess model was modified from ding et al j bacteriol 2008 190 7123 9 and or voyich et al j infect dis 2006 194 1761 1770 for these studies on study day 35 mice were anesthesized flanks were shaved and sterilized and 2 u00d7 10 7 cfu inocula without beads or matrix were introduced into the subcutaneous compartment by injection 100 u03bcl a minimum of 20 mice per control or vaccine regimen groups were used in each study abscess quantification abscess area volume were measured in each mouse flank during the study period up to 14 days post challenge to do so mice were anesthetized and the lesion site length l and width w assessed to quantify abscess or dermonecrosis area cm 2 abscess volume cm 3 was calculated per the formula for a spherical ellipsoid v u03c0 6 u00d7 l u00d7 w 2 imaging studies the xen30 mrsa strain has a self contained lux operon integrated in its chromosome the construct encodes the aldehyde substrate and the luciferase enzyme itself thus no exogenous luciferin substrate is required kadurugamuwa et al infect immun 2003 71 882 890 on selected study days control and vaccinated mice underwent in vivo imaging ivis using an ivis system caliper life.