SMOX and infection: To test whether the five gene deletions attenuated the virulence of P. aeruginosa, we performed mouse infection model studies and challenged the animals with intraperitoneal injection of mucoid PGN5 (PGN5+mucE), its wild‐type counterpart VE2 (PAO1+mucE) or the FDA‐approved strain E. coli BL21 as a negative control.