Tallinn University of Technology

About: Tallinn University of Technology is a education organization based out in Tallinn, Estonia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: European union & Computer science. The organization has 3688 authors who have published 10313 publications receiving 145058 citations. The organization is also known as: Tallinn Technical University & Tallinna Tehnikaülikool.

Molecularly imprinted polymers: a new approach to the preparation of functional materials

Abstract: Molecular imprinting is a method for creating specific cavities in synthetic polymer matrices with memory for the template molecules. To date molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have obtained a strong position in materials science and technology, expanding significantly the list of functional materials. This article provides a short review of the molecular imprinting technique with special attention paid to electrosynthesized electrically conducting polymers (ECPs), polypyrrole and polyethylenedioxythiophene, as matrix materials for molecular imprinting. We describe two different ECP-based MIP systems: enantioselective thin films of overoxidized polypyrrole imprinted with L-aspartic acid and surface imprinted polyethylenedioxythiophene for selective protein adsorption.

Microbial surveys in Estonian dairies

Abstract: Milk contains low numbers of bacteria when it is milked from healthy cows. Drinking and fodder places in the cow shed, milking machines, utensils and equipment at farms, during transportation and in processing may add contaminants to the milk. The aim of this study was to investigate hygiene at the dairies, to find critical points where special attention or improved cleaning is needed by using various microbial sampling methods and by determining the occurrence of Bacillus cereus, Mycobacterium spp. and Listeria monocytogenes. Surfaces were examined with Hygicult® and Rida®Count. DryCult® TPC total bacterial count was used for the determination of microbial counts in liquid samples. The detection of L. monocytogenes was performed according to ISO 11290-1 using the API Listeria test in the identification. The detection of Mycobacteria spp. was performed using Middlebrook 7H10 agar, Mycobacterium tubes 1 and 2 with confirmation based on Ziehl-Neelsen staining. Detection of B. cereus was performed according to ISO 7932 using β-haemolysis on sheep blood agar and API 50CHB test in the identification. These results showed that food contact surfaces were mostly clean from microbes, but the noncontact surfaces were often contaminated with enterobacteria, fungi and aerobic bacteria.