W13-- Microbial Ecology & Polymicrobial Interactions of CF Airway

The cystic fibrosis (CF) airway is a dynamic microbial ecosystem in which interactions among bacterial pathogens, commensal microbes, bacteriophages, and the host microenvironment shape disease progression, treatment response, and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Rather than acting independently, these interconnected communities drive infection persistence and influence clinical outcomes. This workshop highlights how advances in microbial ecology and polymicrobial interaction research are redefining our understanding of the CF airway microbiome. Presentations will examine how commensal airway bacteria influence dominant pathogen growth, revealing opportunities for microbiome-based therapeutic strategies. Speakers will also explore how antibiotic exposure and multispecies interactions within CF sputum reshape microbial competition, coexistence, and biofilm spatial organization.
The program will further showcase computational models that predict patient-specific AMR trajectories and treatment responses by capturing microbial community dynamics under antibiotic pressure. Complementing these approaches, presentations will examine phage-bacterial community interactions, including directed evolution strategies to expand phage host range, overcome resistance, and determine how polymicrobial communities influence phage efficacy. Together, these presentations provide an integrated ecological perspective on the CF airway microbiome, illustrating how advances in microbial ecology, polymicrobial interactions, computational modeling, and phage biology are informing more precise and effective strategies to prevent and treat CF airway infections.

Presentation Order:

1. Next-Generation Directed Evolution of Bacteriophages Against Cystic Fibrosis Pathogens – Presented by Sage Dunham

2. Antibiotic-Driven Resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Follows Nonlinear, State-Dependent Dynamics in People with Cystic Fibrosis – Presented by Canan Karakoç

3. Airway Commensals as a Therapeutic Strategy Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa–Mediated Pneumonia – Presented by Ka Pui Sharon Yau

4. Making Space for Mycobacterium abscessus: Antibiotic-Mediated Coexistence in a Polymicrobial Biofilm Model – Presented by Ritika Shah

5. Development of Bacteriophage Resistance by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a Model for Phage Therapy – Presented by Rachel Martin