Sialic acids are undoubtedly one of the most important carbohydrate classes in biology. Interestingly, several bacterial pathogens can scavenge sialic acid from their surrounding environment and degrade it as a source of carbon, nitrogen and energy. This sequestration and subsequent catabolism of sialic acid requires a cluster of genes known as the ‘Nan-Nag’ cluster. This pathway has been well documented in several bacterial pathogens that colonise mucous-rich niches, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, suggesting that the ability to utilise sialic acid as a ubiquitous carbon and nitrogen source is important for colonisation and persistence. Importantly, the Nan-Nag genes have proven essential for Staphylococcus aureus growth on sialic acids, making the pathway a viable antimicrobial drug target. A biophysical and structural characterisation of the catabolic enzymes involved in the breakdown of sialic acid from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus will be presented. Understanding the structural nature of these enzymes will provide us with the preliminary information necessary for on-going antimicrobial development.