In vitro evolution of Pseudomonas aeruginosa AA2 biofilms in the presence of cystic fibrosis lung microbiome members

P. aeruginosa was cultured in a MultiScreen-Mesh plate, which has a filter at the bottom of the wells. The plate was immersed in either in medium alone (control) or in medium inoculated with a mixture of five bacterial strains commonly found in cystic fibrosis sputum ("microbiome"). The filter prevented physical contact between P. aeruginosa and the other bacteria, yet soluble products could migrate through the filter into the P. aeruginosa biofilm. P. aeruginosa was then allowed to form biofilms in the wells for 72h, then the biofilm was harvested and a fraction of the harvested cells were used for re-inoculations. This was repeated for 18 cycles for a total of 54 days.