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Lake in a glass of water

15.08.2012

To study the fauna of any lake usually requires many months of work by a large team of specialists in different groups of animals. It is necessary to take samples of plankton, soil, catch fish with nets, collect underwater plants with insects living on them, worms, crustaceans and mollusks ...

However, Danish biologists have recently shown that this can be done much faster and easier: it is enough to study the DNA present in a small sample of water. After examining a hundred previously studied European lakes and rivers and comparing the DNA molecules present in the water with the lists of fauna, the Danes found that it is quite possible to judge who lives in the lake from the molecular analysis of water. By the amount of DNA of different types, you can even estimate the number of certain animal species. True, the analyzes must be carried out within two weeks after taking a water sample, since later the DNA molecules will disintegrate.

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Random news from the Archive

Electronic nose for clothes 24.05.2012

The British company Peratech proposes to sew a miniature electronic volatile compound sensor into clothing. A highly sensitive "electronic nose" will be able to warn a person about dangerous air pollution or an emergency in a timely manner.

The Peratech sensor quickly detects a variety of VOCs in the environment, from household paints to specific odors produced by a person's own skin. Many compounds do not smell, but an electronic sensor can alert you to the presence of harmful chemicals in a timely manner and prevent poisoning.

Many scientists have been trying for decades to create a simple and compact "electronic nose". However, according to Peratech representatives, they are the only ones who have managed to produce a sensor with a large change in electric charge and a size of several microns.

The sensor is assembled from quantum tunneling composites (QTCs), which have previously been used to make touch screens. In this material, electrons "jump" between conductors located on a non-conductive substrate. Any deformation, twisting or bending leads to the convergence of the conductors and the "jump" of the electrons.

Peratech's "electronic nose" is made from a polymer that absorbs volatile organic compounds. In the process, the polymer swells and causes the metal particles-conductors to approach each other. As a result, electrons begin to pass between the conductors and the sensor is triggered.

A feature of Peratech sensors is the ability to print them on a thin film. This allows them to be integrated into almost any devices, clothing and even food packaging. The scope of the new sensors is the widest: from protective workwear and trucks transporting products, to everyday clothes and smartphones.

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