<i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> strains lack tissue specificity

Bacterial pathogens vary markedly from species to species in their capacity to cause different types of infection. A recent study by Penaranda and colleagues in <i>mSystems</i> shows that the genetic backgrounds of <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> isolates do not dictate whether they infect the lungs, blood, urine, or other body sites (C. Penaranda, E. P. Brenner, A. E. Clatworthy, L. A. Cosimi, et al., mSystems 11:e01362-25, 2026, https://doi.org/10.1128/msystems.01362-25). These findings suggest that each <i>P. aeruginosa</i> strain is versatile and has the potential to infect a variety of tissues and organs.