Beneficial inventions

Animals born to chase prey and travel considerable distances in the wild tend to be bored and under-stimulated in zoo cages, often displaying obsessive behavior such as pacing up and down for hours on end. The degenerative effect on the bodies and brains of zoo animals, living in a confined enclosure for years, has been compared to the effect that constant TV watching and snacking has on human "couch potatoes".

In order to address this problem, Nir Sitvani, an animal sciences undergraduate at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's faculty of agriculture, food and environmental quality sciences in Rehovot, has developed an interactive "toy" for leopard cubs similar to a baby's "activity center".

The invention earned Sitvani one of this year's nine Kaye Prizes for Innovations and Inventions at the Hebrew University. Established in 1993 by Isaac and Myrna Kaye of England, the prizes encourage innovation among Hebrew University staff and students. Sitavani's interactive play object, which consists of an antelope-shaped barrel hung from the top of the animal's cage, is designed to encourage developmental activity and reduce tension in cubs by providing them with "prey" similar to that which they would find in the natural habitat. The barrel is wrapped in a coconut fiber rug scented with goat urine. A rope passes through the open barrel, which swings and rotates when the cub pulls at bones attached to either end.

The multiple stimuli of smell, movement, sight and taste aroused prolonged interest in leopard cubs in the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo and the Safari Park in Ramat Gan, where the barrel was tested. Sitvani says he is unaware of any other stimulant that has beendesigned specifically for the development of young animal cubs. The device, he claims, could improve their coordination, lengthen their lives and even lower the risk of the species' extinction. He hopes to develop the idea for other animals which are raised in captivity.

Another Kaye Prize was awarded to Gil Ronen, a research student at the department of genetics in the university's faculty of agriculture, for developing an intensely red strain of tomato which also contains a very high level of nutrients. Ronen succeeded in isolating lycopene epsilon cyclase, the gene which contributes the orange color to tomatoes. When this gene is deactivated, tomatoes grow with a dark red hue, as well as a high concentration of lycopene, a natural substance credited with helping to reduce the risk of prostate and other types of cancer, as well as heart disease.

Yissum, the university's research and development arm, has already registered a patent for the use of the tomato gene in agriculture, and companies that make ketchup, juices and sauces, as well as those that sell tomato seeds, are showing keen interest

Further development in this field could mean that in the future, red strains of other fruits - such as peaches, mangoes, melons and bananas - and flowers, such as narcissi and sunflowers, may become available, all of which will contain a high level of beneficial lycopene.