Training bacteria Eating Caffeine in Coffee

Scientist now is training bacteria to eat and destroy caffeine contains in coffee plant. if this is successful, we will enjoy drinking coffee with no caffeine but still has its comfort flavour.

Coffee contains many caffeine because coffee plant produces coffee fastly but its proccess to destroy its caffeine is very slow," explain Justin Gallivan, chemical scientist from Emory University at Atlanta, USA.

"We will create bacteria that can destroy caffeine fastly. That is why we will create bacteria depending on how they live in caffeine." he explains.

Galllivan and Shaw Desai, a university student, find a way to install bacteria with theophylline. Theophylline is a compound made for destroying caffein on coffee and tea plants.

According to American Chemical Society October edition, most coffee which has low caffeine is made using chemical solution which can absorb caffeine in coffee seeds. There is also a technic called "Swiss Water Process" using hot water and steam to
separate caffeine from coffee seeds.

"The bacteria's life depends on theophylline. However, they do not know how to fabricate it themselves. We will train bacteria to produce theophylline needed to destroy caffeine," he said.

The bacteria which has gene that can convert caffeine into theophylline will survive. The scientists hope they can isolate the gene and make caffeine annihilation proccess faster. However, it still needs years more to make the bacteria successful in producing coffee without caffeine with natural and delicious flavour.

Translated from Jawa Pos