Grant: Project Grant

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the leading causes of hospital-acquired infections. Initial infections are short-lived and consist of free-living bacteria. Over time, the bacteria stick together and form biofilms. Biofilms hide from the immune system, cause damage, and are difficult to treat with antibiotics. We used to think that people with cystic fibrosis (CF) caught P. aeruginosa strains from their surroundings, and that these strains became chronic infections. We now know that some strains can be passed between people (called transmissible strains). These strains are more antibiotic-resistant, and patients infected with them have a greater risk of death or lung transplantation. Transmissible strains have been found in patients with CF in Canada. The goal of this project is to characterize specific ways that biofilms resist antibiotics. With this new knowledge we can develop better treatments for chronic P. aeruginosa biofilm infections.