Moscow State University chemists are copying the principle that gives a glow worm its glow to test whether meat or milk is tainted with bacteria. The bit of biomimicry works by combining a food sample with a genetically-engineered enzyme that causes the luminescence in the presence of microbes. From Food Production Daily:
A monitor then registers the quantity of luminescence and estimates the number of microbes. The scientists say they have synthesised the enzyme required to cause the luminescence. They have also produced analysis sets based on the technique.
They have established a company called Lumtech to market their method, according to Informnauka, Russia's science news agency.
