Oral Infection of <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> with Pathogenic Bacteria

Source: Siva-Jothy, J. A., et al. Oral Bacterial Infection and Shedding in Drosophila melanogaster. J. Vis. Exp. (2018)The video demonstrates the oral infection of Drosophila melanogaster with pathogenic bacteria. It includes the preparation of infection vials and the transfer of starved flies to enable bacterial ingestion. The procedure captures gut colonization, followed by surface sterilization and homogenization of flies. Finally, it shows quantification of internal bacterial load through serial dilution and colony counting.