Team:Weimar-Heidelberg Arts/Project/Bacterial Fridge

From 2010.igem.org

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"Cooling is one of the main measures to keep food fresh and uncontaminated with harmful microorganisms. If food could be made durable, not by low temperatures but by modified organisms defending it from going bad, we could not only save energy but also reduce diseases caused by contaminated food - especially in areas without proper infrastructure to guarantee unbroken cold chains. "

Christian Kieschnick

Product Description

The Bacterial Fridge employs synthetic organisms to defend your food from going to waste. Without any necessity for cooling, the Bacterial Fridge will attack any organisms that are responsible for rotting your food. Compared to traditional fridges, this process is far more effective and keeps the content of your fridge fresh for years.

Australian Wine Farmers are already using this technology to conserve some grapes of each vintage to be delivered alongside the wine bottle of the same year.

For each fridge you buy, we send one into developing countries that don’t have the infrastructure to run traditional fridges efficiently.

Technical Description

The reproductive cycle of the included bacteria involves three specific molecules, which control the gene regulation of segmentation. If one of these molecules is missing, an inhibitor will freeze reproduction. Please note: Only open the fridge in dark rooms or at night!