To use a bead beater to isolate live bacteria from mouse tissues, you will need the following materials:

• Mouse tissue
• Bead beating tubes (pre-filled with beads)
• Bead beater
• Sterile phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)
• Sterile culture plates

Protocol:

Once the culture plate has been incubated, you can count the colony forming units (CFUs) to determine the number of live bacteria in the mouse tissue.

Tips:

• To prevent cross-contamination, be sure to sterilize all of your equipment before beginning the procedure.
• If you are not going to use the homogenate immediately, you can store it at -80°C.
• When plating the homogenate, be sure to spread it thinly and evenly on the culture plate. This will help to prevent the overgrowth of colonies.
• Incubate the culture plate at the appropriate temperature for the bacteria you are trying to isolate. Most bacteria grow well at 37°C.

Isolating live bacteria from mouse tissues is a relatively simple procedure. By using a bead beater, you can quickly and efficiently disrupt the tissue and release the bacteria. Once the bacteria have been released, they can be plated on culture plates and grown for further analysis.