Pseudomonas Putida CBB5: New Bacteria Can Live On Caffeine - Polidicks

[img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6226565/aperture/news.png[/img] Source 1 [release] [b] It turns out investment bankers and over-worked journalists aren't the only organisms that can survive on caffeine. [/b] Scientists have recently discovered a new type of bacteria that breaks down caffeine molecules into smaller pieces that they can use for metabolic processes, according to Scientific American. The bacterium-energizing molecule is actually comprised of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen, all of which are necessary for life. Pseudomonas putida CBB5 breaks caffeine into a carbon dioxide molecule and an ammonia molecule, according to Physorg. No other caffeine eating bacterium has previously been found. It might not seem like an amazing discovery at first, but the ground-breaking find is actually incredibly rare. Normally, organisms only break down sugars in order to gain energy (though enzymes like these aren't entirely unheard of). Scientists believe they may find a number of uses for these enzymes. Summers and his collaborators noted that the enzymes might be useful to develop new medications to treat heart arrhythmias or asthma, or to boost blood flow. The bacteria-generated enzymes could also be scaled up to help break down excess caffeine generated by industry during decaf coffee and tea processing. [/release] Source 2 [release] [b]A new bacterium that uses caffeine for food has been discovered by a doctoral student at the University of Iowa. The bacterium uses newly discovered digestive enzymes to break down the caffeine, which allows it to live and grow. [/b] "We have isolated a new caffeine-degrading bacterium, Pseudomonas putida CBB5, which breaks caffeine down into carbon dioxide and ammonia," says Ryan Summers, who presents his research today at the 111th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in New Orleans. Caffeine itself is composed of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen, all of which are necessary for bacterial cell growth. Within the caffeine molecule are three structures, known as methyl groups, composed of 1 carbon and 3 hydrogens atoms. This bacterium is able to effectively remove these methyl groups (a process known as N-demethylization) and essentially live on caffeine. Summers and his colleagues have identified the three enzymes responsible for the N-demethylization and the genes that code for these enzymes. Further testing showed that the compounds formed during break down of caffeine are natural building blocks for drugs used to treat asthma, improve blood flow and stabilize heart arrhythmias. Currently these pharmaceuticals are difficult to synthesize chemically. Using CBB5 enzymes would allow for easier pharmaceutical production, thus lowering their cost. Another potential application is the decaffeination of coffee and tea as an alternative to harsh chemicals currently used. "This work, for the first time, demonstrates the enzymes and genes utilized by bacteria to live on caffeine," says Summers.[/release] [url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/24/new-bacteria-caffeine_n_866396.html]Source 1[/url] [url=http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-05-bacteria-caffeine-food-source.html]Source 2[/url]

Bitches better not eat my caffeine.

I try to live off caffeine.

Hell, half the people I know are bacteria that live off of caffine.

Amazing, microscopic life supporting ENTIRELY on caffeine - this opens up a whole bucketload of medical solutions.

[QUOTE=MendozaMan;30077825]Amazing, microscopic life supporting ENTIRELY on caffeine - this opens up a whole bucketload of medical solutions.[/QUOTE] I doubt that it only needs caffeine.