1. A method comprising:
using two twin-opposed coaxial guide pins which are positioned into the calyx and stem hole of an apple; and
applying a compressive force between the pins so as to secure the apple in a stationary position throughout a subsequent coring process.
2. The method of coring an apple in claim 1, in which a thin-walled coring tube surrounding a single guide pin is traversed over the single guide pin so that the coring tube pierces the apple in line with the opposing pin.
3. The method of coring an apple in claim 1, whereby the coring tube pierces through the apple to the point of contact with the opposing pin, thus separating a central core from the rest of the apple.
4. The method of coring an apple in claim 1, whereby the coring tube isolates and retains the solid central core of the apple within the coring tube for any further purpose.
5. The method of coring an apple in claim 1, such that the coring tube and opposing guide pin are joined in a common diameter and butted end-to-end, so as to establish a straight, seamless transition over the full length of both members for the purpose of guiding the motion of an already cored apple over a straight liner path.
6. The method of slicing an apple in claim 1, whereby an already cored apple is forced through knives, along the combined liner path created by a combination of core tube and guide pin.
7. A method of slicing an apple or other fruit as described herein, whereby an already cored apple is induced to slide over a solid pin that is concentric with and fixed to the radial center of a plurality of knives, such that the solid pin provides a continuous linear orientation of the apple throughout part or all of the slicing distance.
8. The method of slicing an apple in claim 7, whereby the knife blades are fixed to a surface below the surface of the solid pin’s \u201clinear orienting\u201d diameter, the purpose being to create a subsurface clearance zone in which blades may be attached without creating obstructions in the blades in the slicing zone between lower guide pin and blade ring.
9. The method of slicing an apple in claim 7, whereby a conical shape under the knife blades serves to separate or disperse the wedges as they exit the knife blades.
10. A machine comprising:
twin-opposed coaxial guide pins for positioning into the calyx and stem hole of an apple having a core, to hold said apple; and
one or more blades operable relative to said pins for separating said apple from said core.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A DNA molecule comprising:
(a) a region coding for a polypeptide which is human BSSL or a biologically active variant thereof;
(b) joined to the 5-end of said polypeptide coding region, a region coding for a signal peptide capable of directing secretion of said polypeptide from Pichia pastoris cells transformed with said DNA molecule; and
(c) operably-linked to said coding regions defined in (a) and (b), the methanol oxidase promoter of Pichia pastoris or a functionally equivalent promoter.
2. A DNA molecule according to claim 1 wherein the said signal peptide is identical to, or substantially similar to, the peptide with the amino acid sequence shown as amino acids 20 to 1 of SEQ ID NO: 2 in the Sequence Listing.
3. A DNA molecule according to claim 1 wherein the said signal peptide comp rises a Saccharomyces cerevisiae invertase signal peptide.
4. A DNA molecule according to any one of claims 1 to 3 encoding a biologically active variant of human BSSL in which at least one of the repeat units of 11 amino acids, said repeated units being indicated in SEQ ID NO: 1, is deleted.
5. A DNA molecule according to any one of claims 1 to 4 coding for a polypeptide which has BSSL activity and an amino acid sequence which is at least 95% homologous with the sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 3 or SEQ ID NO: 4.
6. A DNA molecule according to any one of claims 1 to 5 coding for a polypeptide which has the amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 3 or SEQ ID NO: 4.
7. A vector comprising a DNA molecule according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
8. A replicable expression vector according to claim 7 which is capable of mediating expression of human BSSL, or a biologically active variant thereof, in Pichia pastoris cells.
9. A vector according to claim 8 which is the plasmid vector pARC 5771 (NCIMB 40721), pARC 5799 (NCIMB 40723) or pARC 5797 (NCIMB 40722).
10. Host cells of the genus Pichia transformed with a vector according to any one of claims 7 to 9.
11. Host cells according to claim 10 which are Pichia pastoris cells.
12. Host cells according to claim 11 which are Pichia pastoris cells of the strain GS115.
13. Host cells according to claim 12 which are PPF-1pARC 5771 (NCIMB 40721), GS115pARC 5799 (NCIMB 40723) or GS115pARC 5797 (NCIMB 40722).
14. A process for the production of a polypeptide which is human BSSL, or a biologically active variant thereof, which comprises culturing host cells according to any one of claims 10 to 13 under conditions whereby said polypeptide is secreted into the culture medium, and recovering said polypeptide from the culture medium.