Medical Discovery News
Science permeates everyday life. Yet the understanding of advances in biomedical science is limited at best. Few people make the connection that biomedical science is medicine and that biomedical scientists are working today for the medicine of tomorrow. Our weekly five-hundred-word newspaper column (http://www.illuminascicom.com/) and two-minute radio show provide insights into a broad range of biomedical science topics. Medical Discovery News is dedicated to explaining discoveries in biomedical research and their promise for the future of medicine. Each release is designed to stimulate listeners to think, question and appreciate how science affects their health as well as that of the rest of the world. We also delve into significant biomedical discoveries and portray how science (or the lack of it) has impacted health throughout history.
Medical Discovery News
Where Your Morning Joe Comes from
930 Where Your Morning Joe Came From
Welcome to Medical Discovery News. I’m Dr. Norbert Herzog.
And I’m Dr. David Niesel
If you’re a coffee fan, this will wake you up: without diversifying the arabica coffee plant, its market dominance may be at risk.
Annual coffee production is about ten million metric tons and is one of the world’s top traded commodities. About sixty percent of it is arabica which a new study traced to Ethiopia at least six hundred thousand years ago.
The study found that the arabica population rose and fell with changes in the Earth’s climate over thousands of years. Eventually people began growing it in Ethiopia but primarily in Yemen.
Today, chains like Starbucks and Tim Hortens exclusively use arabica beans to brew up millions of cups every day. However, the new study highlighted arabica’s limited genetic diversity which is caused by a small population size and interbreeding.
This means the arabica plant is susceptible to pests and diseases, especially coffee leaf rust, This limits where it can be grown.
The study used state-of-the-art genomics to compare thirty-nine cultivated arabica varieties. They’re estimated at just ten to fifty thousand individuals which is a small number. One variety that was a spontaneous hybrid of arabica is the Robustra strain. It’s more disease resistant and is used to make instant coffee.
Researchers are working to develop other varieties. The hope is that by understanding its origins and genetics, they can keep the world’s favorite Joe thriving.
We are Drs. David Niesel and Norbert Herzog, at UTMB and Quinnipiac University, where biomedical discoveries shape the future of medicine. For much more and our disclaimer go to medicaldiscoverynews.com or subscribe to our podcast. Sign up for expanded print episodes at www.illuminascicom.com
