A new Bioelectric Nose has been made by the researchers found in the Seoul National University to sniff out anomalies found in the drinking water. This “nose” can automatically be used on location, and it is reported to be more sensitive than other conventional methods and techniques.
Before this new technology was made, scientists have two options when searching and knowing about the bacteria found in water. They can either (1) get a sample of the water and send it to the lab for testing, to which they will be able to get the number of resulting colonies so that they can figure out the concentration of bacteria within the liquid, or (2) they can analyze it using a very expensive lab-based gas chromotography equipment or a mass spectrometry equipment.
The New Bioelectric Nose WIll be Able to Help Detect Bacteria From Water More Effectively
When waterborne bacteria and other harmful particles are present in water, the Bioelectric Nose can assist us in “sniffing” these out. There are times when our human noses can immediately tell if there’s something wrong with the water we are about to drink. However, for those moments that we need to double our assurance, we can depend on this artificial “nose.”
This bioelectric product from the Seoul National University assists us just like our human nose. It will detect the presence of the smell of harmful bacteria that is present in drinking water and produce results in real time. It has a more sensitive “sense of smell” than the human schnoz which makes for greater, better, and more precise detection. There are two specific types of internal receptors found in this “nose.” These receptors were chosen to their inherent ability to detect two common bacteria-produced molecules that emit the funky smell that we usually take scent when water has bad bacteria. These molecules are geosmin (GSM) and 2-methylisoborneol (MIB).
Unlike our conventional human noses, the device will be able to pick up these bacteria even when they’re mixed with other varieties of smells. Hence, even though the water has been mixed with other ingredients to formulate a refreshing drink, like a juice or a smoothie, this gadget will still be able to detect the faintest signs of bacteria in the beverage. The new Bioelectric Nose is still being completed and the module is still being miniaturized. While the device is being used to detect bacteria in water, it can also be used to detect the faint presence of certain disease markers. It can even assist in the detection of illegal drugs.