Scientists have created a special sensor to assess the number of harmful microbes in milk. This was reported by the press service of the Russian Science Foundation (RSF).
The new device is capable of assessing the number of dangerous microbes in raw milk with 83% accuracy. This is done by detecting volatile compounds that these bacteria release.
The sensor is a piezoelectric resonator. Composite films are applied to its surface. They absorb those volatile organic substances released by bacteria. The number of microbes is counted based on changes in the resonator's vibrations.
The proposed tool can help reduce the time required to analyze the microbiological parameters of raw milk. This, in turn, will allow timely measures to be taken to preserve product quality, prevent the spread of infections and protect public health.
The sensor's operation was tested on 14 raw milk samples of different concentrations. The number and types of bacteria were determined by plating on Petri dishes. This showed that the accuracy of the sensor's assessment of the number of microorganisms is 83%.
The authors of the project hope that the development will help dairy producers to more effectively assess the quality of milk.
Earlier www1.ru reported that Russian scientists will start searching for enzymes to break down plastic in the Arctic.
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