Multiple Approach based on nano and micro structure observations to evaluation of the cell integrity and quality of fruit and vegetables

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H03899
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Agricultural environmental engineering/Agricultural information engineering
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: TANAKA Fumihito 九州大学, 農学研究院, 教授 (30284912)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 内野 敏剛 九州大学, 農学研究院, 特任教授 (70134393)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 農業工学 / X線CT / シミュレーション工学 / バイオスペックル / AFM

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The study aimed to develop new quality evaluation methods of fruit and vegetables by means of static and dynamic approach such as fine-structural analysis of living cell tissue, multi-physics simulation and cell activity analysis. For the fine structure observation and analysis, the structural features were extracted and quantified during fruit storage. For the multi-physics simulation in a fruit,the three dimensional micro-structure of fruit tissue was reconstructed using image processing software and heat transfer simulation was carried out based on the real structure model to determine some physical properties of fruit. In the cell activity observation, bio-speckle technology was applied to evaluate freshness of fruits. We could visualize the activity distribution of living cells by using the developed device.

Free Research Field

ポストハーベスト工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

最先端の機器による微細構造観察とコンピュータによる高度な画像解析との融合によって、マイクロからナノ情報に基づく新たな青果物の品質評価法の可能性を示した点でその学術的意義は高い。これまで検知できなかった青果物の品質劣化を、光学技術やこれとシミュレーション技術を融合させることで早期に察知したり、青果物の活きの良さを直接計測できる新たな品質判定法を開発した点は選別技術の高度化に資する成果であり、フードロス低減にも寄与するものである。