Summary, research goals, methods used, expected results

Present project targets the design of fast, highly selective and sensitive bioelectrochemical methods for analysis of active components in foodstuff as an alternative of the time- and labor-consuming methodologies traditionally used in food analysis.The overall complexity of the problem requires joint interdisciplinary research efforts, part of which are the development of novel materials with pre-designed characteristics and their further applications in the bioelectrochemical methods to be developed.
Other planned tasks involve design and optimization of electrochemical enzyme-based biosensors for monitoring

1. glucose content,
2. chemical indices of rancidity of meat/fish samples,
3. primary biosensors for the assay of antioxidant L-ascorbate used also as food preservative.

The designed laboratory prototypes will be tested in real samples and upon positive results the possibility to adopt them to an automated type of analyses will be explored. Variety of electrochemical, chromatographic and other analytical techniques are proposed to be extensively used upon project implementation.
Immediate applied results related to:

1. patent applications for the designed biosensing devices;
2. creation of favourable conditions for career development of young scientists; and
3. considerable educational impact due to the involvement of undergraduates and PhD students, are expected from the project realisation.

The work team involves experts from two Bulgarian Universities forming a consortium, individual participants from the University of Food Technologies and the Malmoe University, Sweden.
Project received support from Bulgarian food-processing and biotechnological companies, the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and one leading European scientist in the field of electrochemistry.