JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments
Microbiology
0 views • 2:55 min • February 2nd, 2026
Begin with a frozen stock of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a pathogenic bacterium that causes pulmonary tuberculosis.
Thaw the vial and gently mix the suspension to disperse bacterial clumps and ensure a uniform concentration.
Dilute the required volume in sterile buffer to prepare a standardized aerosol inoculum.
Restrain a mouse in a mesh holder to limit movement, and place it inside the sealed aerosol exposure chamber.
Load the prepared inoculum into a syringe and inject it into the nebulizer unit attached to the chamber.
Activate the inhalation system, which uses compressed air to nebulize the suspension into fine, respirable droplets.
These droplets, containing viable M. tuberculosis, disperse into the chamber air.
The conscious mouse inhales the aerosol, allowing viable bacteria to penetrate deep into the lungs and initiate infection.
The mouse model of pulmonary tuberculosis is now ready for further studies.
Begin by warming Mycobacterium tuberculosis stocks of a known CFU titer. When the cells have thawed, use a 1 milliliter syringe fitted with a 27 gauge needle to carefully mix the suspension five times to disperse the bacterial clumps, avoiding the production of aerosols. Depending
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