Team:UNITN-Trento/Project/Vending Machine

From 2013.igem.org

Revision as of 16:49, 13 September 2013 by Ggirelli (Talk | contribs)

B. fruity Vending MachineThe ultimate application of the B. fruity system

Why? Nowadays people are reconsidering their lifestyle and trying to follow a healthy diet:

“fruit and vegetables rather than junk food to stay healthier, that’s the vision!!”

Imagine a forthcoming future when people all over the world go for a healthier alimentation, and the common awareness of its benefits will drive the population to demand more fruit. In this not-so-distant future fresh and ripe fruit will be supplied by the B. fruity vending machine, a groundbreaking way to have ripe fruit all the time. The first edition of B. fruity vending machines exploit a ripening molecule (i.e.: ethylene) and an inhibitor (e.g.: methyl salicylate) to keep the fruit at an unripe stage and then boost the ripening only once the fruit has to be displayed for the end-user.

We believe this cutting-edge technology would foster a healthy lifestyle by promoting this recovered healthy alimentation. People would be able to eat fruit wherever they are, whenever they want.

We developed a prototype machine that allows our dispenser to work efficiently.

The process Unripe fruit are placed inside several compartments at the back of the machine, the R-Units, and exposed to the inhibitor that is produced by the bacterial culture.

Afterwards one fruit at a time is carried to the next chamber and exposed to bacterial ethylene. By the time the treatment is over, the fruit will be ready to be dispensed.

Ethylene is produced by inducing our bacteria with blue light that is activated when the fruit arrives to the ethylene chamber. After an incubation period (dependent on the type of fruit) the fruit goes right behind a tiny window. A coin input unlocks the window and the fruit is released.

R-Unit The name &elaquo;R-unit&eraquo; stands for Ripening Unit: the fundamental mechanism that controls the ripening of our fruit.