RNAseq of P. aeruginosa in humans

Microbiologists typically use laboratory systems to study the bacteria that infect humans. Over time this has created a gap between what researchers understand about bacteria growing in the lab and those growing in patients. It is well-known that the behavior of bacteria is shaped by their environment, but how this behavior differs in laboratory models compared to human infections is poorly understood. We compared transcription data from a variety of human infections with data from a range of in vitro samples. We found important differences in expression of genes involved in antibiotic resistance, cell-cell communication, and metabolism. Understanding the bacterial expression patterns in human patients is a necessary step toward improved therapy and the development of more accurate laboratory models.