Quantification of milk adulterants (starch, H2O2, and NaClO) using colorimetric assays coupled to smartphone image analysis

In this paper, a colorimetric method for the detection of milk adulterants using smartphone image analysis is reported. This is based on the reactions to detect hydrogen peroxide, sodium hypochlorite, and starch in milk, where a color variation is observed for each substance. The image analysis was performed by using lab-made apps (PhotoMetrix®, and RedGIM®) based on partial least squares regression with the histograms of the red-green-blue images. The image histograms are automatically calculated using the smartphone camera and processed within the app. The results have shown the capability of this method to predict the concentration of the three adulterants, demonstrating the potential of the use of digital images and smartphone applications associated with chemometric tools. This method presents a fast, low-cost, and portable way to quantify adulterants in Cow milk

New insights into the genome repetitive fraction of the Antarctic bivalve Adamussium colbecki

Repetitive DNA represents the major component of the genome in both plant and animal species. It includes transposable elements (TEs), which are dispersed throughout the genome, and satellite DNAs (satDNAs), which are tandemly organized in long arrays. The study of the structure and organization of repetitive DNA contributes to our understanding of genome architecture and the mechanisms leading to its evolution. Molluscs represent one of the largest groups of invertebrates and include organisms with a wide variety of morphologies and lifestyles. To increase our knowledge of bivalves at the genome level, we analysed the Antarctic scallop Adamussium colbecki. The screening of the genomic library evidenced the presence of two novel satDNA elements and the CvA transposon. The interspecific investigation performed in this study demonstrated that one of the two satDNAs isolated in A. colbecki is widespread in polar molluscan species, indicating a possible link between repetitive DNA and abiotic factors. Moreover, the transcriptional activity of CvA and its presence in long-diverged bivalves suggests a possible role for this ancient element in shaping the genome architecture of this clade