Comparative evaluation of viability assays and functional analysis of bbi29 in Borrelia burgdorferi.

Flow cytometry outperforms SYBR Green I/PI and microscopy for accurate B. burgdorferi viability assessment, with 94% reliability compared to manual methods.

• Why it matters: Accurate measurement of B. burgdorferi viability is crucial for understanding its survival under stress and infection mechanisms, but existing methods are limited in precision and efficiency.
• What they did: Researchers compared manual microscopy, flow cytometry, and SYBR Green I/PI assays, revealing flow cytometry as the most reliable and efficient method for quantifying spirochete viability.
• The result: Using flow cytometry, they demonstrated that the gene bbi29 influences B. burgdorferi stress response and infectivity, advancing knowledge of its pathogenic mechanisms and improving experimental approaches.