My research group combines traditional molecular biology approaches with microfluidic technology to examine how host-relevant shear flow impacts stress responses and surface adhesion of the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. While reductionist experimental systems provide great mechanistic insight, they commonly lack key aspects of natural systems, such as fluid flow. Thus, there is a great opportunity to solve outstanding problems in microbiology by implementing experimental systems that more precisely model natural conditions. Two major recent discoveries from my lab highlight the scientific opportunities of studying bacteria in flow. First, we discovered that flow sensitizes P. aeruginosa to host-relevant doses of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Second, we discovered that host-relevant shear forces counter-intuitively enhance P. aeruginosa adhesion by counteracting pilus-driven surface departure. These discoveries help us to better understand the biology of P. aeruginosa and provide a foundation for innovative advances in the treatment of bacterial infections.