Adhesion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to Human Outer Layer Airway Mucins

The adhesion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to submaxillary and airway mucins is subject to large intra- and interclonal bacterial diversity. Thus, a mucin adhesion study should include numerous bacterial strains that reflect the population biology of the taxon and/or the habitat of interest. Human airway mucins are isolated from induced sputa collected from healthy individuals or people with chronic lung diseases such as bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In this protocol, bacteria are exposed to mucin-coated microplates. Adhesion is quantified by colony forming units.