Airway ecology in cystic fibrosis highlights opportunities for shorter antibiotic courses and fiber-based protection

Dr. Katrina Whiteson, director of the microbiome center at the University of California, Irvine, summarized research on airway microbiome succession in cystic fibrosis and evidence from a large study that shorter antibiotic courses for pulmonary exacerbations can be as effective as longer courses. She emphasized that interactions among oral microbes and opportunists can change pathogen physiology and suggested metabolomic markers could help track treatment effects.

Whiteson advocated for low-cost, clinically actionable interventions to preserve beneficial anaerobes during antibiotic exposure. "If you take fiber while you are also taking antibiotics, you will protect your gut anaerobes," she said, and described pilot interventions using chia seeds and other fiber supplements. She also noted ongoing phage therapy work and urged research into accessible diagnostic readouts such as fecal pH and redox potential as practical biomarkers for microbiome health.