JP2001046057A - New bacterium and production of organic material using the bacterium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a new bacterium capable of effectively reducing caffeine hindering the growth of crops in a short time, useful for producing a soil conditioner, etc. by making the bacterium grow in a medium containing only caffeine as an organic substance nutrient. SOLUTION: This bacterium can grow in a medium containing only caffeine as an organic substance nutrient. The bacterium is a bacterium belonging to the genus Micrococcus and is deposited as Micrococcus sp. SAM 2,240 strain (FERM P-17511). A caffeine-containing substance such as a food industry waste, a coffee extraction residue and/or tea extraction residue, etc. is preferably treated with the bacterium to produce an organic material. A screening to obtain the bacterium is preferably carried out by culture using the medium containing only caffeine as the organic substance nutrient.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a microorganism capable of efficiently degrading caffeine, a method for screening the same, and a method for producing an organic material using the microorganism.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The amount of coffee extraction residue discharged from domestic food factories and the food service industry reaches about 250,000 tons per year, and most of it is incinerated. : Agriculture, Mountain and Fishing Village Cultural Association, 19977.3). By the way, most of the composition of the coffee extraction residue is organic matter, has a small porous granular shape, has good air permeability,
It is suitable as a home for the growth of various microorganisms.
Furthermore, the coexistence of coffee extraction residue when composting organic waste has the feature that it has good adsorptivity of odor components such as ammonia, which is the main cause of the offensive odor generated in the composting process. It can be said that it is a very excellent material as an organic material. Therefore, from the viewpoint of consideration for environmental issues and effective use of resources, effective recycling instead of incineration is desired.

Various proposals have been made so far for effective use of coffee extraction residues, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-438.
No. 74 proposes a pellet or granule soil / water retention agent for agricultural and horticultural use containing coffee grounds and a water-insoluble superabsorbent resin. This soil / water retention agent for agriculture and horticulture is said to have both the composting effect of coffee grounds and the water retaining effect of a water-insoluble polymer compound.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-130573 discloses bacteria having properties effective for composting organic wastes.
There is shown a composting promoter composition in which fungi and actinomycetes are immobilized in a state of dormancy in coffee grounds.
However, for example, for a raw coffee extraction residue, 500
It contains caffeine in an amount of about 1,000 ppm (in terms of dry matter weight), and this caffeine has an effect of inhibiting the growth of crops. The recycling method described above does not adequately address the decomposition of caffeine in coffee grounds,
Therefore, when mixed with organic waste and composted,
From the viewpoint of inhibiting the growth of crops, their usage is limited.

[0005] Therefore, as a means for removing caffeine from caffeine-containing food waste such as coffee grounds,
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-29884 discloses a method in which caffeine-containing food industry waste is brought into contact with persimmon astringent, and the caffeine contained therein is coagulated and settled in the persimmon astringent to remove and compost. Although this method is excellent as a method for directly removing caffeine, which is a crop growth inhibitory substance, it is considered that stable supply of persimmon juice is considered to be difficult, and there remain problems such as complicated processes.

[0006] A method has also been adopted in which the coffee extraction residue is mixed with other materials such as chicken dung, sludge, rice bran and fermented to convert the same into organic materials which do not inhibit crop growth. In this method, caffeine in a caffeine-containing substance is decomposed by using a microorganism having caffeine-decomposability, which is present in chicken dung, sludge, rice bran, and the like, to reduce the caffeine content.

In fact, fungi such as Pseudomonas spp., Aspergillus sp. And Penicillium spp. Are known as caffeine-decomposing microorganisms. Is also reported to exist (M. Hakir et al., Enz.
yme and Microbial Technology
ogy 1998, 22 (5) 335-359).

[0008] However, in the currently used method, the ability to decompose caffeine is not always sufficient. Therefore, it is necessary to keep the caffeine content of the material to be treated low or to use it as a fertilizer. There is a problem that it takes a long time (usually three months or more). Furthermore, due to the presence of caffeine in the material to be treated, even microorganisms that are excellent in the ability to decompose organic substances have a problem in that microorganisms with low caffeine resistance are impaired. .

[0009] Further, when considering use as a use other than fertilizer, caffeine contained in coffee extraction residue or tea extraction residue is used without using microorganisms without mixing with other materials such as chicken dung, sludge, rice bran and the like. If it can be decomposed directly, the resulting coffee extraction residue and tea extraction residue will have reduced growth inhibitory effects on crops, and can be directly injected into the soil by itself, thus replacing soil and improving soil. New uses are possible for agricultural organic materials such as materials and organic fertilizers.

[0010] However, a reliable means for effectively reusing coffee extraction residue and tea extraction residue has not yet been established, and most of them are inevitably incinerated. Therefore, at present, there is an urgent need to establish a technology capable of efficiently decomposing caffeine, which is a main factor of the growth inhibitor of crops, using microorganisms.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above situation, the present invention treats caffeine-containing substances such as coffee extraction residue and tea extraction residue together with microorganisms, and reduces the amount of caffeine contained therein. It is a basic object of the present invention to provide a method for producing organic materials such as soil substitutes, soil improvement materials, and organic fertilizers.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a specific microorganism which can be used in such a production method, and to provide a screening method for efficiently obtaining such a microorganism.

In order to solve such a problem, the present inventor has proposed that if a microorganism capable of growing on a medium containing only caffeine as an organic nutrient source is used, abundant nitrogen and carbon sources other than caffeine are present. Environment,
We thought that caffeine could be degraded efficiently.

As a result of intensive studies based on this concept, a screening method for separating microorganisms capable of efficiently degrading caffeine from fermentation products using coffee extraction residue as a main raw material was established. make use of,
A specific microorganism capable of growing on a medium containing only caffeine as an organic nutrient was found.

Further, the inventor can quickly decompose caffeine, which is a main factor of the growth inhibitor of crops, by utilizing such a specific microorganism, and produce an organic material from the caffeine-containing material in a short time. And completed the present invention.

[0016]

Accordingly, the present invention, as one of its aspects, is used for efficiently producing organic materials such as soil substitutes, soil improvement materials, and organic fertilizers from caffeine-containing materials. A microorganism capable of growing on a medium containing only caffeine as an organic nutrient is provided.

The invention Among them, as such a microorganism is capable of growing bacteria in a medium containing only caffeine as organic nutrient source, Micrococcus (Micro
Coccus ), belonging to the genus Micrococcus
sp. SAM2240 (FERM P-17511) is provided.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing an organic material such as a soil substitute, a soil improving material, and an organic fertilizer by treating a caffeine-containing material with the microorganisms proposed above. Also provide.

The microorganism used in the present invention is a microorganism capable of efficiently decomposing caffeine in an environment rich in nitrogen and carbon sources other than caffeine, and only caffeine is used as an organic nutrient source. Is characterized by being a microorganism that can grow on a medium containing

[0020]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION In order to obtain the microorganisms provided by the present invention, microorganisms which can grow on a medium containing only caffeine as an organic nutrient may be separated and selected. The medium used for that purpose may be a medium containing only caffeine as an organic nutrient source, and other components are not particularly limited.

The concentration of caffeine contained in such a medium is about 0.02 to 0.2% by weight, particularly 0.08 to 0.2% by weight.
Desirably, it is about 0.12% by weight. Examples of such a medium include, for example, a medium having the composition shown in Table 1 below. In addition, culture conditions other than a culture medium can be set according to a conventional method widely used in the art.

[0022]

[Table 1] Composition of separation medium for caffeine-degrading bacteria

By using the above-mentioned medium, it is possible to efficiently separate and select microorganisms that can grow on a medium containing only caffeine as an organic nutrient used in the present invention. Therefore, as another aspect, the present invention also provides a screening method for obtaining a microorganism used for efficiently producing an organic material such as a soil substitute, a soil improving material, and an organic fertilizer from a caffeine-containing material. Is what you do.

Thus, the microorganisms provided by the present invention which can grow on a medium containing only caffeine as an organic nutrient can be selected and isolated. The type of microorganism selected is not particularly limited. These microorganisms can be used alone in the present invention, or a plurality of types of microorganisms can be used simultaneously.

In the present invention, in particular, such microorganisms include, for example, microorganisms isolated from a compost using swine dung as a main raw material (Y. Ohta et al., Bioresource).
(Technology, 1997, 60, 21-26)
And bacteria obtained by separation and selection according to the method described in Examples described later.

Among them, bacteria of the genus Micrococcus are preferable, and for example, Micrococcus luteus , Micrococcus lyl
ae ), Micrococcus variance ( Microco
c. varians ), Micrococcus roseus , Micrococcus aziris ( Micrococcus agi)
lis ). Among these, the SAM2240 strain found by the present inventors is particularly desirable. The bacteriological properties of this SAM2240 strain are shown in Table 2 below.

[0027]

[Table 2]

From the above mycological properties, the SAM2240 strain was determined to be a strain belonging to the genus Micrococcus, and was determined to be a new strain that was not known before.
sp. It was named SAM2240 and deposited with the National Institute of Bioscience and Human Technology on August 9, 1999 (accession number: FERM P-17511).

Hereinafter, Micrococcus sp.
The physiological properties of SAM2240 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as “SAM2240 strain” for convenience) will be further described. As the medium, the medium of Table 1 in which only caffeine was arranged as an organic nutrient was used.

In the test for examining the effect of the caffeine content, a medium in which the caffeine content in the composition shown in Table 1 was appropriately changed was used. In a test for examining the influence of the pH of the medium, a medium whose pH was adjusted by appropriately adding a 1N-hydrochloric acid aqueous solution or a 1N-sodium hydroxide aqueous solution to the composition shown in Table 1 was used.

The effect of the SAM2240 strain on the concentration of caffeine in the medium is summarized in FIG. 1 and FIG. As shown in the figure, the SAM2240 strain
0.1% (w / w) of caffeine in the medium (1,000
(ppm), and the caffeine in the medium completely disappeared after 36 hours of culture.

On the other hand, the influence of the pH of the medium is summarized in FIG. As shown in the figure, SAM2240
The strain decomposed caffeine and grew well when the pH of the medium was in the range of 7.5 to 8.5.

The results on the effect of temperature on the SAM2240 strain are shown in FIG. As is clear from the results in FIG. 4, caffeine was decomposed at 30 to 35 ° C. and grew well.

In view of the physiological properties of these SAM2240 strains, the SAM2240 strain is a microorganism that can grow on a medium containing only caffeine as an organic nutrient, and has a very strong ability to utilize caffeine. It can be said that.

On the other hand, the microorganisms of the present invention, especially SAM2
The caffeine-containing substance treated by 240 strains is, for example, an extracted residue of coffee or tea, which is generated in a restaurant industry such as a beverage manufacturing factory or a coffee shop or a fast food store, that is, a coffee extraction residue or a tea extraction residue. And the like.

The types of caffeine-containing substances such as the coffee extraction residue and the tea extraction residue are not particularly limited, and the caffeine-containing substance alone as the coffee extraction residue or the tea extraction residue, or a mixture of both, is used. As a caffeine-containing material. The caffeine content, the mixing ratio, and the like are not limited. Further, it may be mixed with other materials such as chicken dung, sludge, rice bran and the like.

The microorganism of the present invention, in particular, SAM224
In the treatment with 0 strains, if the water content is too low, the growth of the bacterium deteriorates, and if the water content is too high, the air permeability deteriorates, and fermentation defects such as anaerobic fermentation occur.
It is desirable to be in the range of 70%.

Caffeine-containing substances such as coffee extract residue and tea extract residue are treated with microorganisms capable of growing on the medium containing only caffeine provided by the present invention, in particular, the SAM2240 strain, to obtain a caffeine content. Is reduced organic material.

[0039] In this case, cell number of bacteria added to caffeine-containing substance, such as coffee extract residue or tea extract residue, the dry weight 1g per 10 ⁵ cells or more of the workpiece, preferably 1
Is desirably 0 ⁷ cells or more. If the number of bacteria is too small, the fermentation period is prolonged, and the caffeine in the caffeine-containing substance cannot be sufficiently decomposed.

The microorganisms provided by the present invention, especially SAM22
The caffeine-containing material inoculated with 40 strains naturally accumulates, and it is preferable to perform appropriate switching or aerobically culture in a compost production apparatus equipped with a stirrer and an aerator. The treatment temperature is preferably in the range of 23 to 37 ° C.,
Best results can be obtained at 5 ° C.

In the present invention, when producing an organic material from a caffeine-containing material, in addition to microorganisms that can grow on a medium containing only caffeine as an organic nutrient, it is used for composting organic waste. Materials containing other microorganisms commonly used for such materials or such microorganisms can be used together.

The treated product in which caffeine is decomposed in this way is used alone or mixed with soil or fertilizer.
It can be used as an organic material such as a soil substitute, a soil improvement material, and an organic fertilizer.

[0043]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to specific examples below, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. In this embodiment, Mic is also used.
rococcus sp. SAM2240 may be simply referred to as “SAM2240 strain” for convenience.

Example 1: Micrococcus s
p. Isolation of SAM2240 (FERM P-17511) (a) Isolation of caffeine-degrading bacteria: Microorganisms (Y. Ohta) isolated from compost using swine manure as a main raw material as a seed fungus
Et al., Bioresource Technology,
1997, 60, 21-26) dispersed and mixed in diatomaceous earth to a concentration of 10 ⁸ cells / g, 1 kg
Is mixed with 5 kg of coffee extraction residue (71% moisture)
After adjusting the pH to about neutral with sodium carbonate, the mixture was naturally deposited in a wooden box with a wire mesh at the bottom, and the fermentation was continued for 7 days.

Next, using the medium shown in Table 3 below, the above-mentioned fermented coffee extraction residue was used as a separation source.
Enrichment culture was performed. Thereafter, this culture solution was spread on a plate medium using a medium having the same composition, and 105 strains were isolated.

[0046]

[Table 3] Medium composition of enrichment culture

(B) Measurement of degradability of caffeine and evaluation of the growth state: The 105 strains obtained in the above (a) were incubated at 30 ° C. in the above-mentioned medium containing only caffeine as an organic nutrient. The cells were cultured for 36 hours, and the growth state at that time and the degradation rate of caffeine in the medium were evaluated.

The decomposition rate of caffeine was evaluated by high performance liquid chromatography analysis (HPLC). The column was ODA # 3056 (C-18, 5 μm, 4 mmФ × 15)
0 mm), mobile phase 1/15 M phosphate buffer, flow rate 1.0 ml / min, column temperature 40 ° C., detection wavelength 254.
nm of ultraviolet absorption. The growth state was evaluated by visually observing the degree of turbidity of the medium.

As a result, 96 kinds of strains did not grow, but nine kinds of strains (A to I in the following table) had a caffeine decomposition rate of 53% to 100% and a growth state. Almost good. Table 4 summarizes the results.

[0050]

[Table 4]

Therefore, strains A to I in Table 4 above
It was found that about nine kinds of these could be grown on a medium containing only caffeine as an organic nutrient, and had a high caffeine resolution.

(C) Micrococcus sp. S
Identification of AM2240: Among the nine strains obtained in the above (b), the strain A having the best growth status was identified as SAM22.
Forty strains were identified. As a result, based on the mycological properties shown in Table 2, the SAM2240 strain was found to be micrococcus ( M
micrococcus ) is determined to belong to the genus,
Micrococcus sp. It was named SAM2240 and deposited with the National Institute of Bioscience and Human-Technology, Agency of Industrial Science and Technology (Accession number: FERM P-17511).

Example 2: Conversion of coffee extraction residue into organic material (a) Production of organic material: coffee extraction residue (water content: 6)
2%, dry caffeine concentration: 980 ppm) 10 k
g, the bacterial concentration of the SAM2240 strain is 6 × 10 ⁸ cells / m.
100 ml of the solution suspended in pure water so that
The cells were cultured at 5 ° C. with stirring for 1 minute every hour.
As a result, the caffeine concentration in the coffee extraction residue was reduced to 50 ppm or less after 6 days. Therefore, SAM2
240 strains were found to have high caffeine resolution.

(B) Application effect test: obtained in the above (a)
The effect of application to Komatsuna was evaluated by test using organic materials produced from coffee extraction residue. In the test area,
The coffee extract residue decaffeinated by SAM2240 strain, while the coffee extract residue decaffeinated without the caffeine decomposition treatment in the comparative test group was 5 wt.
% And 10%, and mixed with field soil (soil after planting and harvesting eggplant and cucumber etc.) and filling about 800 g in a resin pot (capacity: about 1 liter). For the control area, a pot filled with only the field soil was prepared.

10 seeds of Komatsuna were sown per pot and cultivated outdoors. Sprinkled once a day with Jouro. One week after sowing, the germination rate and the time of harvest (cultivation 28
A day later), the fresh weight of the aerial part was measured.

(C) Application test results: The results are shown in Table 5.

[0057]

[Table 5] Table 5: Results of growth test of Komatsuna by applying organic materials produced from coffee extraction residue

As is clear from the results in the above table, the germination rate and the fresh weight of the above-ground part at the time of harvest were significantly higher in the komatsuna in the test group than in the komatsuna in the comparative test group. Thus, it was recognized that the growth impairment of the crop observed in the raw coffee extraction residue was considerably improved by the decomposition treatment of caffeine by the SAM2240 strain. In particular, when the mixing ratio of the coffee extract residue obtained by decomposing caffeine is 5%, the growth of Komatsuna tends to be promoted rather than the case of cultivating only in the field soil (control area). The effect was recognized.

Example 3: Conversion of coffee extract residue and sludge mixture into organic material (a) Production of organic material: 2 kg of organic material obtained from coffee extract residue by the method shown in Example 2 (moisture: 1)
0%) and 8 kg of sludge (moisture:
80%), and the mixture was fermented by stirring once every 3 to 4 days for 7 weeks in a compost production device equipped with a stirring device, and used for the test plot. On the other hand, as a comparative test group, the coffee extract residue was dried to a water content of 10% to 2 k.
g and 8 kg of the above-mentioned sludge were mixed, and the mixture was stirred and fermented once every 3 to 4 days for 8 weeks in a compost production apparatus equipped with a stirring apparatus.

(B) Result of application test: The test was performed in the same manner as in Example 2 to evaluate the effect of application on Komatsuna. Table 6 shows the results.

[0061]

[Table 6] Table 6: Results of growth test of Komatsuna by applying organic materials produced from a mixture of coffee extraction residue and sludge

As shown in Table 6 above, SAM2240
When the sludge fermented by mixing the coffee extract residue subjected to the caffeine decomposition treatment by the strain and mixed into the field soil (test plot), compared to the komatsuna cultivated only in the field soil (control plot), the ground level at harvest was higher. Part fresh weight is remarkably large,
Excellent effect as organic fertilizer was recognized. On the other hand, when the coffee extraction residue was mixed with sludge without caffeine decomposition treatment and fermented (comparative test section), the germination rate and the fresh weight of the above-ground portion at the time of harvest were extremely poor, and were included in the coffee extraction residue. Growth impairment was considered, which could be due to caffeine.

Example 4: Use of oolong tea extraction residue as organic material (a) Production of organic material: oolong tea extraction residue (water content: 67)
%, Caffeine concentration: 7,560 ppm) to 10 kg,
100 ml of a suspension in pure water was added so that the bacterial concentration of the SAM2240 strain was 6 × 10 ⁸ cells / ml, and the mixture was placed in a compost production apparatus equipped with a stirrer for 4 weeks, 3 to 4 days.
When the fermentation was carried out with sufficient agitation, caffeine was no longer detected in the extraction residue. This was mixed with the field soil and used in the test plot. On the other hand, as a comparative test plot, 10 kg of oolong tea extraction residue was fermented with sufficient stirring once every 3 to 4 days in a compost production apparatus equipped with a stirrer without adding the microorganisms described above. Was mixed with field soil and used.

(B) Result of application test: The effect of application to Komatsuna was evaluated in the same manner as in Example 2. Table 7 shows the results.

[0065]

[Table 7] Table 7: Results of growth test of Komatsuna by applying organic materials produced from oolong tea extraction residue

As is clear from the results shown in Table 7, the freshness of the komatsuna in the test plot was larger than that of the komatsuna (control plot) cultivated only in the field soil at the time of harvest, and was used in the test plot. Excellent effect of organic materials as fertilizer was recognized. On the other hand, the germination rate and the fresh weight of the above-ground portion at the time of harvest were extremely poor in the komatsuna of the comparative test plot, and a growth disorder considered to be caused by caffeine contained in the oolong tea extract residue was observed. Also, SAM2240
It was also observed that growth was inhibited when the mixing ratio of the oolong tea extract residue increased, regardless of whether or not the treatment was performed by the strain.

Example 5 Production of Organic Material by Combination of Coffee Extraction Residue and Oolong Tea Extraction Residue (a) Production of Organic Material: Coffee Extraction Residue (Water: 6)
5 kg of 2%, caffeine concentration: 980 ppm) and oolong tea extraction residue (moisture: 67%, caffeine concentration: 7,56)
0 ppm) 5 kg was mixed well, and SAM was added to this mixture.
100 ml of a suspension in pure water was added so that the bacterial concentration of the 2240 strain became 6 × 10 ⁸ cells / ml, and the mixture was sufficiently added once every 3 to 4 days for 4 weeks in a compost production device equipped with a stirring device. When the fermentation was carried out with stirring, caffeine was no longer detected in the mixture of the extraction residue, and this was mixed with the field soil and used in the test plot. On the other hand, the coffee extraction residue 5
and 5 kg of oolong tea extraction residue, and without adding the microorganisms described above, fermentation is performed by thoroughly stirring once every three to four days in a compost production apparatus equipped with a stirring device for 4 weeks. Was mixed with the field soil and used in a comparative test plot.

(B) Results of application test: The effect of application to Komatsuna was evaluated in the same manner as in Example 2. Table 8 shows the results.

[0069]

[Table 8] Table 8: Growth test results of Komatsuna by applying organic materials produced from coffee extraction residue and oolong tea extraction residue

As is clear from the results in Table 8 above,
Komatsuna in the test plot had significantly higher fresh weight at the time of harvest than Komatsuna (control plot) cultivated only in the field soil. It was recognized that the fresh weight of the above-ground portion at the time of harvesting was larger than that of the oolong tea extraction residue alone treatment in Example 4. The reason is considered to be that the addition of the coffee extraction residue promotes the decomposition of the oolong tea extraction residue by improving the air permeability of the object to be treated. On the other hand, the germination rate and the fresh weight of the above-ground portion at the time of harvest were extremely poor in Komatsuna in the comparative test plot, and growth disorders considered to be due to caffeine contained in coffee extraction residue and oolong tea extraction residue were observed.

[0071]

As described above, the present invention relates to a microorganism capable of growing on a medium containing only caffeine as an organic nutrient, particularly Micrococcus sp. SAM
2240 (FERM P-17511), which is used to treat caffeine-containing residues such as coffee extraction residue or tea extraction residue using such microorganisms to reduce caffeine that inhibits the growth of crops. The time can be effectively reduced.

Further, according to the present invention, microorganisms that can grow on a medium containing only caffeine as an organic nutrient can be efficiently separated and selected, and the microorganisms contained in coffee extract residue using the separated microorganisms can be used. Caffeine having a crop growth inhibitory effect can be efficiently decomposed. Therefore, by treating the coffee extraction residue, tea extraction residue, and the like, which have been discharged in large quantities, and most of which have been incinerated, with the microorganism, soil substitutes, soil improvement materials, and organic substances that can be used for agriculture and horticulture. It has the advantage that it can be converted to organic materials such as fertilizers and can be reused effectively.

Further, in the conventionally proposed method of converting coffee extract residue into fertilizer, the ability to decompose caffeine is not always sufficient, so that it takes more than 3 months before the coffee extract residue can be used as fertilizer. Although a period was required, the method of the present invention can shorten the period to about one month. In addition, coffee extraction residue,
It can be used as a soil conditioner in about one week. Therefore, microorganisms provided by the present invention, in particular, Microc
occus sp. SAM2240 (FERMP-17
511) is very useful as a practical caffeine-decomposing microorganism.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing the results of examining the effect of caffeine concentration in a culture medium on the growth of the SAM2240 strain provided by the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a graph showing the results of examining the relationship between the caffeine decomposing ability of the SAM2240 strain provided by the present invention and the concentration of caffeine added to a medium after culturing for 36 hours.

FIG. 3 is a view showing the results of examining the effect of pH in a medium on the growth of the SAM2240 strain provided by the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a view showing the results of examining the effect of medium temperature on the growth of the SAM2240 strain provided by the present invention.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI theme coat ゛ (Reference) C12R 1: 265)

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A microorganism capable of growing on a medium containing only caffeine as an organic nutrient. 2. The microorganism capable of growing on a medium containing only caffeine as an organic nutrient is a bacterium.
The microorganism according to the above. 3. A bacterium capable of growing on a medium containing only caffeine as an organic nutrient is Micrococcus ( Mi).
The microorganism according to claim 2, which is a bacterium belonging to the genus crococcus ). 4. Micrococcus s that can grow on a medium containing only caffeine as an organic nutrient.
p. SAM2240 (FERM P-17511). 5. The caffeine-containing substance according to claim 1, wherein
A method for producing an organic material, comprising treating with the microorganism according to any one of the above. 6. The method for producing an organic material according to claim 5, wherein the caffeine-containing substance is food industry waste. 7. The method for producing an organic material according to claim 5, wherein the caffeine-containing substance is a coffee extraction residue and / or tea extraction residue. 8. Use of the microorganism according to any one of claims 1 to 4 for producing an organic material from a caffeine-containing material. 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the culture is performed using a medium containing only caffeine as an organic nutrient.
5. A screening method for obtaining the microorganism according to any one of items 4 to 4.