‘Artificial tongue’ can detect chemical makeup of alcoholic drinks
Biological nanopore technology revolutionised DNA sequencing – now it has been adapted for analysing alcoholic drinks, providing a quick test for quality and safety
By James Woodford
17 December 2024
Molecular testing can be used to assess drink quality
Evgenii Parilov/Alamy
Drinks manufacturers and consumers may soon have a small, portable kit, not much bigger than a covid test, to check the quality and safety of alcoholic beverages.
The device is being described as an “artificial tongue” because it can detect additives, toxins and the sweetness of the drink with just a few drops.
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Shuo Huang at Nanjing University in China says that while this first generation of the new technology can’t yet test for date rape drugs in spiked drinks or detect methanol contamination, which recently resulted in the deaths of six backpackers in Laos, future versions may.
Current methods for analysing alcoholic drinks, such as liquid chromatography, involve expensive and cumbersome laboratory equipment, requiring expert technicians to operate and analyse samples.
The artificial tongue relies on biological nanopore technology. This uses a modified organism such as a bacterium with a small hole or pore, just a few nanometres in diameter, in its cell membrane. By charging the membrane with electricity, small molecules of the substance being tested can be pulled into and through the pore.
