show Abstracthide AbstractThe present study was designed to gain insights into the the survival and adaptation of clonal isolates of B. cepacia and B. contaminans was investigated after long-term incubation in nutrient depleted saline solutions, and in the presence of two concentrations of benzalkonium chloride (BZK), a biocidal preservative commonly used in pharmaceutical settings. Additionally, the comparative genomic analysis performed for two B. cepacia saline solutions' isolates confirmed the existence of a putative BZK degradation pathway was confirmed through comparative genomic analysis. Bacterial strains were previously recovered from contaminated saline solutions for nasal application or from two CF patients under surveillance at a Lisbon hospital. This work is the result of a collaboration between the Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB), Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal, and the Cystic Fibrosis Centre of Hospital Santa Maria in Lisbon, Portugal.