Development of a Point of Care Testing (PoCT) system for the detection and quantification of beer spoilage microorganisms in industrial environments

• Grant number: 22/01026-2
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: August 01, 2022
• End date: April 30, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Regina Lucia Batista da Costa de Oliveira
• Grantee: Regina Lucia Batista da Costa de Oliveira
• Company: 45.993.313 Inova Simples (IS)
• CNAE: Atividades profissionais, científicas e técnicas não especificadas anteriormente
• City: Mogi das Cruzes
• Associated researchers: Daniela Leite Jabes ; Fabiano Bezerra Menegidio ; Rene Aduan Junior
• Associated research grant(s): 23/06731-9 - Development of a Point of Care Testing (PoCT) system for the detection and quantification of beer spoilage microorganisms in industrial environments, AP.PIPE
• Associated scholarship(s): 22/10250-3 - Detection and quantification of beer spoilage microorganisms using the LAMP technique (Loop-mediated isothermal AMPlification), BP.TT; 22/10231-9 - Installation and use of the software GLAPD (Genome based LAMP primer designer) in GPU environment and adaptation of the qLAMP App application to develop quantitative real-time LAMP reactions (qLAMP)., BP.TT

Abstract

The Brazilian beer industry is responsible for the annual production of more than 14 billion liters of this beverage, making the country the third largest beer producer in the world. However, this production could be higher, if not for the losses caused by contamination by Beer Spoilage Microorganisms (BSMs), which can compromise the quality and commercial viability of the product. BSMs can affect different stages of beer production and their monitoring is traditionally conducted through laboratory culturing techniques. However, such techniques display low sensitivity and can be very time-consuming, often resulting in costly recalls, when batches of BSM-compromised beer are identified after shipment to distributors and vendors. Despite the current availability of commercial kits, capable of detecting BSMs with greater speed and efficacy through PCR and qPCR, these systems are seldomly used in Brazilian breweries, mainly due to the need to acquire expensive equipment to carry out such tests. In this sense, the present project aims to develop a novel Point of Care Testing (PoCT) system, aimed at detecting BSMs in the industrial environment. PoCT systems are based on portable and low-complexity equipment, enabling the conduction of microbiological diagnostics on a large scale, in a short period of time and in extra-laboratory environments. The PoCT system proposed in this project has no similar competitor in both national and international markets. More important, since it does not depend on high-cost/high maintenance laboratory equipment, it can be easily incorporated into the environment of large, medium and small breweries. (AU)