Selective Detection of Ethylene Gas Using Carbon Nanotube-based Devices: Utility in Determination of Fruit Ripeness

Birgit Esser, Jan M. Schnorr, and Timothy M. Swager





Ethylene, the smallest plant hormone, plays a role in many developmental processes in plants. For example, it initiates the ripening of fruit, promotes seed germination and flowering, and is responsible for the senescence of leaves and flowers.[1] The rate-limiting step in the biosynthetic pathway to ethylene, elucidated by Yang et al., is catalyzed by 1- aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) synthase. [2] Ethylene production in plants is induced during several developmental stages as well as by external factors. The ripening process is the result of ethylene binding to the receptor ETR1,which leads to the translation of ripening genes and eventually the production of enzymes that induce the visible effects of ripening. The monitoring of the ethylene concentration is of utmost importance in the horticultural industries. The internal ethylene concentration in fruit can serve as an
indicator for determining the time of harvest, while the monitoring of the atmospheric ethylene level in storage
facilities and during transportation is crucial for avoiding
overripening of fruit