Longitudinal changes in the cystic fibrosis airway microbiota with time and treatment

·The microbiota in the lower airway of people with cystic fibrosis is resilient in the short and medium term.·Among the microbiota metrics studied at the start and after completion of treatment of a pulmonary exacerbation, the greatest shift was observed in community richness which decreased with treatment.·While lower community richness may suggest an increased risk of exacerbation, regression analysis highlighted that lung function was the most important predictor of future pulmonary exacerbations.·Complex microbiota data may provide some additional insights when used in combination with routine clinical measurements.