Leva Momtazi - Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Martin Speth - Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
Gareth Griffiths - Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
Bo Nyström - Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.

Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is one of the biggest global health problems, with one third of the human population infected and app. 2 million associateddeaths per year. To date, the only available vaccine (Bacille Calmette Guérin; BCG) provides limited and inconsistentprotection against pulmonary infection with M. tuberculosis. Here, we report a novel approach that aims to develop oral vaccination approaches comprising the encapsulation ofmycobacterial antigens or whole-cell mycobacteria in biodegradable nano-/microparticles (NP) [1]. Using the closelyrelated pathogen of fish tuberculosis (Mycobacterium marinum) [2], allowed us to investigate both the course of infection and the uptake and trans-epithelial transport of NPs via the intestinal epithelium of zebrafish in vivo