Experimental system enables studies of <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> during aerogenic transmission.
Groundbreaking system enables in-depth studies of how tuberculosis spreads through the air, revealing key insights about Mycobacterium tuberculosis' adaptations during transmission between hosts.
This study developed a novel transmission simulation system (TSS) that combines controlled pathogen aerosolization, bioaerosol particle measurement, and mouse infection via nose-only exposure. The TSS demonstrated that it can generate Mtb aerosol concentrations and particle size distributions that better represent human cough compared to traditional full-body inhalation systems. Importantly, the TSS deposited clinically relevant low doses of Mtb into murine lungs with greater precision. The study revealed a linear correlation between Mtb inoculum concentration and lung deposition, but higher concentrations led to reduced total particle numbers and lower pulmonary infection doses. This innovative platform enables detailed biophysical and molecular investigations of Mtb transmission, advancing our understanding of this persistent global health challenge.