Bacterial Colonization

Bacterial colonization is the establishment and persistence of bacteria on or within a host without necessarily causing tissue damage or clinical disease. It occurs when microorganisms reach a body site, adhere to epithelial surfaces or medical devices, and multiply under conditions that support survival, sometimes forming protective biofilms and interacting with the host microbiota and immune system. In clinical practice, distinguishing colonization from infection helps clinicians interpret cultures, assess transmission and infection risk, and avoid unnecessary antibiotic treatment. Understanding colonization also informs strategies for preventing device-associated infections, managing vulnerable patients, and studying how resident microbial communities influence health and disease.

Bacterial Colonization - Related Videos

Research

JoVE EoE - Bacterial Pathogenesis and Host Interactions

Monitoring Bacterial Colonization of Arabidopsis thaliana Roots in a Soilless System

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2026

Source: Harris, S. L., et al. Monitoring Bacterial Colonization and Maintenance on Arabidopsis thaliana Roots in a Floating Hydroponic System. J. Vis. Exp. (2019)This video demonstrates a protocol for monitoring the colonization of root-associated bacteria on Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings grown in a soilless system. Following colonization, bacteria are dislodged by sonication, then diluted, plated, and incubated to form colonies that reflect bacterial attachment and viability.

Fluorescence Imaging of Bacterial Colonization in Mouse Kidney Tissue

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2026

Source: Behera, R. K., et al. A Fluorescence-based Method to Study Bacterial Gene Regulation in Infected Tissues. J. Vis. Exp. (2019)This video demonstrates a method for preparing infected mouse kidney tissue, staining DNA, and detecting bacterial gene expression using dual fluorescent reporters. Red marks all bacteria, and green highlights infection-responsive cells.

Automated Separation of C. elegans Variably Colonized by a Bacterial Pathogen

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Cited by 1 •

2014

The wormsorter facilitates genetic screens in Caenorhabditis elegans by sorting worms according to expression of fluorescent reporters. Here, we describe a new usage: sorting according to colonization by a GFP-expressing pathogen, and we employ it to examine the poorly understood role of pathogen recognition in initiating immune responses.

Enhancing Salt Stress Tolerance in Tomato Plants Through Endophytic Bacterial Colonization

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2025

Endophytic bacteria colonize plant tissues and promote plant growth.To study their impact on tomato plant growth under salt stress, start with sterile seedlings showing developing leaves and roots.Immerse the roots of the experimental seedling in a suspension of endophytic bacteria; leave the control uninoculated.Transfer both groups into sterilized soil to prevent external microbial interference and incubate in a growth chamber.From the soil, the bacteria enter through transient root openings,...

Evaluating Intestinal Bacterial Colonization in Germ-Free C. elegans

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2025

Source: Taylor, M. N., et.al. Using Single-Worm Data to Quantify Heterogeneity in Caenorhabditis elegans-Bacterial Interactions. J. Vis. Exp. (2022)This video demonstrates the exposure of germ-free, age-matched Caenorhabditis elegans worms to a bacterial strain for intestinal colonization. It explains the selective removal of non-adhered and external bacteria, leaving only viable bacteria adhered to the gut epithelium for quantification.

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