Team:Weimar-Heidelberg Arts/Project/Plant Protector

From 2010.igem.org

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"Ant Army is an inovation to protect your trees and other plants.It uses pheromones as an effectiv weapon against any kind of animal which could possibly destroy your harvest!"

Christian Kieschnick

Product Description

'Ant Army' can be paired with a variety of garden plants to be defended. When attacked by parasites, leaves start emitting a messenger substance that will be recognized by the ants and will alert them to fan out for rescue. If you want to enjoy your garden undisturbed by the ants, the 'Ant Army' homing function will come in handy. Simply press a button on your remote control and the habitat will release a messenger substance summoning the ants home immediately. In colder regions, the habitat will be kept at tropical temperature to ensure the ants' well-being and optimal functionality. The autumn version of the product comes with an upgrade that turns 'Ant Army' into a useful helper for keeping your garden clean and tidy. Litter and dropped leaves will be recognized and collected into piles.

Technical Description

Our "Plant-protector-set" contains: 1x ant colony with the 'Ant Army' box, 5x food capsules + 4m hoses (can be ordered according to your own specifications), 1x feed pump with 5 connections (extra remote feed pump controls and capsules can be ordered), 1x 5L bucket special honey, 1x phytomon controler with remote control, batteries and power supply, 1x phytomon capsule, 1x collection command capsule, 1x swarming command capsule. The Set includes an ant colony and is a compact and handy product which can be used for any kind of trees and bushes. It should be noted that the product is placed centrally in the tree crown. Before you remove the transparent protective film from the ant's entrance portal, you should put the food capsules on the end of the tree branches. 5 capsules are the minimum required for a medium-sized fruit tree. Don't forget to install the food hoses on the food capsules. After cutting hoses to the desired length, fill to the top with honey using the feed pump provided in the kit. After this is done, install the ant-controller. Take the tube from it and tack it in the trunk of the tree. Then reconnect the controller and connect the hoses to the colony. When the 3 phytomon-capsules and the batteries are in the controler, you can finally open the entrance portals for your ants. Please note: The ants are very aggressive. Keep children away from ants! Careless use can be painful and can endanger continued visual function. Mysanto group is not liable for possible consequences of using 'Ant Army'.

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