mSphere of Influence: The power of polymicrobial partnerships in chronic infection research

Chelsey VanDrisse works in the field of microbial physiology, studying how acylation of small molecules and proteins affects the development of <i>Pseudomonas</i> biofilms. In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on the paper "Community composition shapes microbial-specific phenotypes in a cystic fibrosis polymicrobial model system" by Jean-Pierre et al. This paper prompted her to reassess her approach to studying antibiotic tolerance and her design of experiments that search for disease-relevant mutants and phenotypes in the laboratory.