Isolation of Endospores from an Environmental Sample by Targeted Lysis of Vegetative Cells

Source: Wunderlin, T., et al. Physical Isolation of Endospores from Environmental Samples by Targeted Lysis of Vegetative Cells. J. Vis. Exp. (2016)This video demonstrates a method to isolate endospores from an environmental sample containing both vegetative cells and various bacteria. The procedure involves filtration, mechanical disruption, and selective chemical treatment to weaken and lyse vegetative cells while preserving endospores. The final step isolates the resilient endospores through membrane filtration.