How do temperate bacteriophages affect the fitness of Pseudomonas aeruginosa?

The Liverpool Epidemic Strain(LES) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a key opportunistic bacterium and a major cause of mortality and morbidity in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. It has been established to carry distinctive prophages within its genome, providing the host bacterium with advantages through horizontal gene transfer.

Several well-known partnerships between prophage and their bacterial hosts have been characterised, however, very little is known about other phage-host systems. This project explores the dynamics between Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 and its phage, determining whether they confer an advantage in the CF lung.