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Not all caffeine is created equal. Researchers recently sequenced the genome of the coffee plant and found the caffeine in your morning cup evolved independently from caffeine found in other plants.
The study based on the genome sequencing helps explain how and why the coffee plant might have started producing caffeine in the first place. It also explores coffee’s other likable features, such as its eye-opening aroma and its distinctly bitter taste. And like many exercises in genome sequencing, the researchers behind the coffee study say their work could lead to better coffee varieties in the future.
“Coffee is as important to everyday early risers as it is to the global economy. Accordingly, a genome sequence could be a significant step toward improving coffee,” said Philippe Lashermes, a researcher at the French Institute of Research for Development, in a statement. “By looking at the coffee genome and genes specific to coffee, we were able to draw some conclusions about what makes coffee special.” [10 Surprising Facts About Coffee]