Summary: A new bacterium, Pseudomonas putida CBB5, has been discovered; it is able to get energy from caffeine. Contrarily to popular belief, humans do not gain energy from coffee, since black coffee with no sugar has no calories for us to burn. However, the new bacterium has enzymes that break down chemical bonds in the caffeine molecule’s core (two carbon and nitrogen rings). They “eat” –with enzyme that break through the caffeine derivatives, that humans don’t have- through the rings and harvest the energy from the elements.
Analysis
It was hypothetical science, the researches knew about the bacteria that made energy from caffeine, but they didn’t know how it could harvest energy, and humans couldn’t. They decided to determine the number and isolate the enzymes that took part in the breakdown.
This is important to humans because if we find a way for humans to develop this enzyme, we could actually live on caffeine, humans would be able to subsist on drinking coffee and possibly, this enzyme, which is also present in e. coli, could help break down other molecules.
Bibliographic Citation
Include the Veronique Greenwood, Why Bacteria, But Not Humans, Can Live on Caffeine, Discover Magazine, June 14, 2011.
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