A portable sensor that could help winegrape growers rapidly detect smoke taint compounds in grapes is being developed by researchers at Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
The 12-month project has received $455,847 in funding through the Australian Government’s Australia’s Economic Accelerator Ignite program and is supported by Wine Australia. It aims to deliver a fast, low-cost diagnostic tool capable of directly detecting smoke-related compounds in grapes.
Currently, testing winegrapes for smoke taint is done via laboratory analysis which can only be done immediately prior to harvest when growers and winemakers need to make quick decisions about fruit intake.
The QUT research team is developing a biosensor that uses specially-designed molecules known as aptamers which selectively bind to smoke-related compounds if present in grapes. The goal is to incorporate the biosensor technology into a portable grape sampling device capable of delivering rapid results in the vineyard in real time.
.jpg "Soniya-Yambem-(1).jpg")
.jpg "Elena-Eremeeva-(1).jpg")
Associate Professor Soniya Yambem (left/above) and Dr Elena Eremeeva from the Queensland University of Technology.
Project leader Associate Professor Soniya Yambem, from the QUT School of Chemistry and Physics, explained the first step in the project would be to validate the technology in the lab before designing a prototype for field testing. Working with Professor Yambem on the project is Dr Elena Eremeeva, a nucleic acid biochemist.
Faster diagnostics could help reduce uncertainty when smoke events occur, allowing growers and winemakers to decide whether to harvest, divert fruit to alternative products or adjust winemaking strategies to manage smoke taint.
Dr Paul Smith, General Manager – Research & Innovation at Wine Australia, said the goal is to give growers and winemakers faster access to information when smoke events occur.
“The ability to quickly determine smoke taint risk will greatly reduce stress for growers and winemakers in smoke events and minimise financial losses associated with bushfire smoke exposure,” Dr Smith said. “In many cases, producers will be able to proceed with vineyard inputs, market their grapes and produce wine with confidence.
“As bushfires continue to pose a risk for many wine regions, technologies that enable earlier and more reliable detection of smoke exposure will become an increasingly valuable tool for vineyard managers,” he said.
The project with QUT has been initiated under the Research & Innovation Fund stream of the Australian Wine Future Fund (AWFF). The AWFF has been established by Wine Australia to unlock new sources of investment funding available for research, innovation and commercial solutions to help the grape and wine sector respond to key challenges and build long-term resilience (for further information on the AWFF click here).