Microbes for cleaning

Researchers from Bhavnagar University in Gujarat isolated as many as 12 microbes that can clean up oil spills, from the polluted soil and waters of Alang ship breaking site in the state. Out of the 12 types of bacteria, Marinococcus albus was found to be the most effective as it grows better than other microbes in contaminated water and degrades more effectively, the scientists report in the March 2007 issue of the Indian Journal of Marine Sciences. They also found out the optimum crude oil concentration, temperature and pH value in which these microbes work best. They argue that a bacterial consortium, rather than a single microbe, could be a better option for managing oil spills. Microbes have been in use for managing oil spills since the 1980s when India-born scientist Ananda Chakraborty, then working with General Electric Corporation in the US, developed an oil spill cleaning bacterium.

E-nose for tea

Researchers in Calcutta have designed an “electronic nose” for monitoring the quality of your favourite brew. Fermentation, during which cut tea leaves change from a green colour to a distinct coppery brown and their grassy smell transforms into a floral fragrance, is an important part of tea processing. Of the two detectable parameters — colour and smell — smell is most crucial since a strong, specific fragrance emanates once the leaves are optimally fermented. The researchers from the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing and Jadavpur University have exploited this specific characteristic of tea to design an automated fermentation control. Also involved in the project are scientists from Tezpur University and Tea Research Association, both in Assam. The study is being reported in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Food Engineering.