Bacterial Burden Quantification
Bacterial Burden Quantification - Related Videos
02:03
Assessing Bacterial Burden in the Mouse Spleen for Infection Studies
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2026
Source: Madenspacher, J. H. and Fessler, M. B. A Non-invasive and Technically Non-intensive Method for Induction and Phenotyping of Experimental Bacterial Pneumonia in Mice. J. Vis. Exp. (2016)This video demonstrates the process of quantifying bacterial load in the spleen of an infected mouse to assess the severity of infection. The homogenized spleen is serially diluted and plated to determine total bacterial burden. The resulting data provide insights into host-pathogen interactions within...
04:29
Monitoring Neutrophil Recruitment Dynamics and Bacterial Burden at the Infection Site in a Murine Model
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2025
This video demonstrates in vivo imaging to study the neutrophil recruitment dynamics at an infection site in an immunocompromised, transgenic mouse with GFP-expressing neutrophils. It involves injecting luminescent bacteria to cause an infection. This leads to neutrophil recruitment to the infection site, whose tracking is done by imaging.
07:35
Preparation, Imaging, and Quantification of Bacterial Surface Motility Assays
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Cited by 68 •
2015
Swarming motility is influenced by physical and environmental factors. We describe a two-phase protocol and guidelines to circumvent the challenges commonly associated with swarm assay preparation and data collection. A macroscopic imaging technique is employed to obtain detailed information on swarm behavior that is not provided by current analysis techniques.
09:52
Histological Quantification to Determine Lung Fungal Burden in Experimental Aspergillosis
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Cited by 11 •
2018
Here we describe a protocol to determine pulmonary fungal burden in mice with invasive aspergillosis by quantification of Gomori's modified methanamine silver staining in histological sections. Use of this method resulted in comparable results with less animals compared to assessment of fungal burden by quantitative PCR of lung fungal DNA.
03:23
Measurement of the In Vivo Burden of Bacteria Expressing Luciferase in an Insect Larva
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2025
This video showcases the in vivo bacterial burden measurement using Bacillus Calmette-Guérin, BCG, lux-infected insect larvae. The process involves larval homogenization, treatment with a luciferase substrate, and bioluminescence measurement to determine relative light units that correlate with bacterial burden.
FAQs
A colony-forming unit (CFU) count provides an estimate of viable bacterial cells after the sample is serially diluted and counted on agar. Because this readout is used for viable cells, it can support questions about colonization, infection, or whether an intervention reduces bacterial populations over time.
Molecular measurement of bacterial DNA assesses total bacterial material rather than only the viable cells estimated through colony-forming units. This distinction matters when interpreting results: a DNA-based signal and an agar-based count may address different biological questions, so investigators should select the approach according to the intended assessment of bacterial abundance.
Optical density can indicate population growth in liquid culture, making it useful for following changes in bacterial abundance during cultivation. Unlike an agar-based viable-cell count or a molecular measurement of total bacterial DNA, this approach serves as a growth-related readout. It can therefore help compare population changes across liquid-culture conditions.
The research question should determine the measurement strategy. Serial dilution with agar counting supports estimates of viable cells, molecular assays measure total bacterial DNA, and optical density indicates growth in liquid culture. Selecting the readout that matches the question improves comparisons among experimental conditions and helps clarify how an intervention affects bacterial populations.
A CFU-based workflow begins by serially diluting the sample, followed by counting the resulting colonies on agar. The dilution step makes bacterial abundance suitable for colony enumeration, while the agar count supplies the viable-cell readout. This procedure can be applied to samples or tissues when investigators need to compare bacterial levels between conditions or time points.
Researchers apply these measurements in antimicrobial testing, host-pathogen studies, environmental monitoring, and microbiome research. The resulting data support comparisons across experimental conditions, tracking of bacterial changes over time, and evaluation of treatment response. In biology, this makes bacterial burden quantification useful for connecting bacterial abundance with infection, colonization, or intervention outcomes.