Researchers at the University of Leicester have made a breakthrough in the make up of a bacteria which is a major cause of death worldwide.
The study could help to unlock new information which can be used to improve vaccinations against pneumococcus infection.
It is estimated that the infection claims a human life every 10 seconds globally and it is the leading cause of serious illness.
Researchers have discovered six characteristics of the infection which can help in the development of specific vaccinations.
The team of researchers at the University of Leicester, working with international experts, have found a "genetic switch" controlling the disease which can cause pneumonia and other serious infections.
The bacterium is the leading cause of sinusitis, blood infections, meningitis, and middle ear infections, known as otitis media. Pneumococcal disease affects children and the elderly, and it is one of the leading infectious diseases worldwide.
The study, which has been published in the journal Nature Communications, was co-authored by Professor Marco Oggioni from the University of Leicester's Department of Genetics.
It has shown for the first time a genetic switch that allows this bacterium to randomly change its characteristics into six alternative states.
The discovery indicates the ability of the pneumococcus to cause deadly infections is different in each of these six states and each form is randomly generated as if the bacteria were playing dice.
Professor Oggioni said: "Facing a bacterial with six and more phase variable systems is like being simultaneously confronted with six different bacteria.
"It gives them an unfair advantage, but knowing the genetic basis now places us in an optimal position to reinvestigate drug and vaccine efficacy."
Mathematical analysis of the data to support the study was carried out by a team led by Alexander Gorban, Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Leicester's Department of Mathematics.
He said: "The study led to an interesting puzzle about statistics of relative positions of markers on DNA.
"It was our pleasure to modify the classical methods and to solve this puzzle."
The international research team included Prof Michael Jennings from Griffith University's Institute for Glycomics, Prof James Paton from the University of Adelaide and scientists from Pacific Biosciences.
Prof Jennings, Deputy Director of the Institute for Glycomics at Griffith University, described the study as a significant breakthrough.
He added: "Each time this bacterium divides it is like throwing a dice.
"Any one of six different cell types can appear. Understanding the role this six way switch plays in pneumococcal infections is key to understanding this disease and is crucial in the development of new and improved vaccines."
Prof Paton, Director of the Research Centre for Infectious Diseases at the University of Adelaide concurred, added: "In this game of dice the stakes are very high, with each roll of the dice having a major impact on survival of either the bacterium or its human host."