You can call it coffee, drip or your morning dose of energy. Coffee is undoubtedly a huge part of global culture, and the type made from the Arabica bean is the most beloved by enthusiasts.
Researchers have now uncovered the genome of Arabica species and traced its origin to a natural cross between two other species of coffee, around 610,000 to one million years ago in the forests of Ethiopia . This makes this species older than our own species, Homo sapiens, which appeared in Africa around 300,000 years ago.
Researchers sequenced the genomes of 39 Arabica varieties, including a specimen from the 18th century, to create the highest-quality genome to date for this species, whose scientific name is Coffea arabica. They also discovered a specific region of the genome that could be crucial for developing disease-resistant varieties through traditional breeding or genetic engineering.
“Arabica is one of the main commodities in the world, occupying a large part of the agricultural economy of the countries where it is grown,” said Victor Albert, a plant evolutionary biologist at the University at Buffalo in New York, one of the leaders of the study published this week in Nature Genetics magazine.
“It is an important part of the local livelihood of small producers, not just cultivated and exploited by large companies. Coffee is a rich source of antioxidants and, of course, caffeine – which helps keep me and the rest of the world awake,” Albert added.
Research has shown that the Arabica population has fluctuated over the millennia as the climate warms and cools. It was first cultivated in Ethiopia and Yemen and then spread around the world.
“Coffee and humanity have been closely linked throughout history. In many producing countries, Arabica coffee represents more than a crop, it is part of the culture and tradition,” said Patrick Descombes, senior genomics specialist at Nestlé Research and professor at the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (EPFL), another leader of the study.
It turned out that Arabica has low genetic diversity due to a history of inbreeding and small population size. The species, susceptible to pests and diseases, can only be cultivated in a limited number of locations where climatic conditions are favorable and the threat of disease is lower.
The research “paves the way for new breeding approaches in coffee, which will lead to the development of new varieties with better resistance to disease, climate change and with new flavor qualities,” said Descombes.
Coffee is one of the most consumed drinks in the world — it is estimated that 2.25 billion cups are consumed daily — in addition to being one of the most traded commodities. Arabica represents the majority of world coffee production.
Arabica was formed, according to researchers, as a natural hybridization between two progenitor species — Coffea canephora and Coffea eugenioides . The canephora species is called Robusta coffee and its genome was sequenced in 2014.
Robusta is commonly used in instant coffee, while Arabica is considered superior in flavor, generally known for a smoother, more delicate taste. The Robusta species is native to the forests of equatorial Africa.
“Robusta is also known for being quite resistant to the main coffee pests and diseases — hence its name Robusta, which means robust,” said Descombes.
The species eugenioides grows at high altitudes in Kenya.
The 18th-century specimen sequenced in the study was from a sample stored in London that had been used by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus to name the species Coffea.
“We were able to sequence its genome and actually found that it was not particularly close to the varieties grown today,” Albert said.
Source: CNN Brasil
Charles Grill is a tech-savvy writer with over 3 years of experience in the field. He writes on a variety of technology-related topics and has a strong focus on the latest advancements in the industry. He is connected with several online news websites and is currently contributing to a technology-focused platform.
