JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments
Microbiology
0 views • 3:45 min • February 2nd, 2026
Begin with age-matched neonatal mouse pups.
Gently lift the skin at the back of each pup's neck. Subcutaneously inject one pup with a low-concentration suspension of pathogenic bacteria and another with a high-concentration suspension.
These bacteria express a bioluminescent operon that produces the luciferase enzyme and its substrate, enabling autonomous light emission.
A protective polysaccharide capsule surrounds the bacteria and masks their surface antigens, preventing recognition by the pups' immune cells.
Return the pups to their biological mother for postnatal care.
Bacterial proliferation at the injection site triggers inflammation and increased vascular permeability, enabling bacterial entry into the bloodstream and systemic spread.
Place the anesthetized pups under a luminescence imaging system.
Luciferase oxidizes the substrate to produce visible light, allowing visualization of bacteria inside the pups.
Capture images over time to compare bacterial growth and spread in pups inoculated with high and low bacterial concentrations.
Begin by placing age-matched pups into either high or low-dose litter groups within a biosafety level two cabinet. On postnatal day 3 or 4, record the we
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