The <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> opportunistic pathogen and human infections

Summary Pseudomonas aeruginosa , a Gram‐negative environmental species and an opportunistic microorganism, establishes itself in vulnerable patients, such as those with cystic fibrosis or hospitalized in intensive care units. It has become a major cause of nosocomial infections worldwide (about 10% of all such infections in most European Union hospitals) and a serious threat to Public Health. The overuse and misuse of antibiotics have also led to the selection of resistant strains against which very few therapeutic options exist. How an environmental species can cause human infections remains a key question that still needs elucidation despite the incredibly high progress that has been made in the P. aeruginosa biology over the past decades. The workshop belonging to Current trends in Biomedicine series, which was held under the sponsorship of the Universidad International de Andalucia between the 8th and the 10th November 2010 brought in the most recent advances in the environmental life of P. aeruginosa , the human P. aerug