Question: What is pseudomonas aeruginosa

Matthew Moore answered on 15 Mar 2015:

Hi!

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, or P.aeruginosa is a bacterium. It’s found in most moist environments and most of the time isn’t harmful to people. Because it can grow in most environments (including distilled water and contact lens solution!) it can be found in hotubs, hospitals and even medical equipment and devices involved in surgery.

When someone is already ill Pseudomonas aeruginosa can infect them and even be fatal! It usually infects wound sites or burns but can also infect organs such as the kidneys or lungs!

People with cystic fibrosis are particularly susceptible to getting P.aeruginosa infections of the lung and these infections are the main cause of death and overall poor health in cystic fibrosis.

P.aeruginosa also varies, it’s one species of bacteria but can be quite different whether it’s found on a plant, in a human lung or a lake for example and quite different from geographical locations too.

My project therefore is interested in what genes make it different and what impact they would have during infection! For example, some P.aeruginosa ‘isolates’ are antibiotic resistant and it also varies which antibiotics they’re resistant too (some are resistant to loads), knowing exactly which genes, or variations of genes responsible for this would be really useful!