Here we have focused on isolation of H1N1 pathogenicity response modifiers in human bronchial airway epithelial cells (HBEC). This cell type was selected as tissue culture model that may be enriched for conservation of cell autonomous biological features representative of the viral target tissue. These cells resist plaque formation, but are highly sensitive to single cycle infection. From whole-genome siRNA and miRNA mimic screening, both candidate sensitizer and resistor response modifiers were identified. A key deliverable from this analysis was the identification of gene products that apparently serve to restrain cell death responses that would otherwise engage upon detection of viral infection. Though not required to support cell viability in the absence of viral challenge, depletion of genes in this class enhanced the death response to H1N1 infection concomitant with restraining H1N1 protein production. As such, this class may represent targets for interventions that restrain propagation of multi-cycle infection by facilitating suicide of infected cells prior to production of new infectious particles. A chemically addressable member of this class, CHEK1, showed strong activity in multiple HBEC lines but not in A549, a non-small cell lung tumor derived line commonly employed to model influenza virus infection. This suggests that intervention targets may be available in normal epithelial cells that are uncoupled from host regulatory networks in cancer cells. 