Xanthine Project

OBJECTIVE

DOES CAFFIENE AFFECT MOLD GROWTH?

To determine weather caffeine affects the development of mold.

HYPOTHESIS

My hypothesis, decided before this project began, was that the caffeine in the coffee would slightly slow the process of growth down. The reason for this is that caffeine is very bitter, and contains no sugar, and hardly any protein, which are both features of some foods that help mold develop. I also thought that the coffee would maybe change, or even mutate the mold that was on it.

EQUIPMENT

Six large plastic bags Six slices of whole wheat bread Four cups of regular ground coffee One cup of DECAF coffee A brush A plastic bowl

PROCEDURE

Take one piece of bread (being careful to hardly touch it), then put it in one of the six plastic bags. Then mark the bag “CONTROL.” Repeat this process, but with the following variables. Using a cooking brush and using a full cup on the area… -cover a quarter of the bread with CAFF, then mark the bag “QUARTER (CAFF).” -cover a third of the bread with CAFF, then mark the bag “THIRD (CAFF).” -cover a half of the bread with CAFF, then mark the bag “HALF (CALF).” -cover the whole bread with CAFF, then mark the bag “SOAKED (CAFF).” -cover the whole bread with DECAF, then mark the bag “SOAKED (DECAF).”

Put the bread pieces in a environment that will rarely be disturbed, then take pictures for the beginning. Check on bread daily, and take pictures when change is visible. Total experimental period should be around a month. Disposal: When your experiment is over, LEAVE the pieces inside the bags, get a large garbage bag, and dump all the of them into it. Tie the big bag tight, then dispose it in your large bin outside.

OBSERVATIONS/RESULTS

1 Hour

1 MONTH

SOAKED (CAFF) Many circular fuzzy white blotches, some stuck together. Covering the whole ark of the bread a huge colony of white fuzzy mold has grown. Towards the ark, the bread is actually flattening, as if deflated, which is expected to be eaten.

HALF (CAFF) Fuzzy white mold covers the edges. A green splotch is in the bottom left corner.

THIRD (CAFF) Yellow blotch Green blotches with white edges. Strange, water color like blotch in right corner of ark.

QUARTER (CAFF) White and green fuzzy blotches all over. Little red and yellow mold on the right side a lot like the sun.

SOAKED (DECAF) Many white blotches around the whole edge. Fuzzy patches sticking to the bag.

CONCLUSION Hypothesis: My hypothesis was partially right. From what I observed, the coffee did not slow down the growth of mold at all. In fact, it actually seemed to speed it up. I believe the reason for this, is because the coffee poured on it was hot, and of coarse, wet. This created the perfect environment for the mold, especially since the steam could not go anywhere since the bag was shut. On the correct side of things, the coffee did seem to “mutate” the mold a bit, as you saw with that red and yellow lump.

IF I WAS TO DO IT AGAIN… I would do it when I wasn’t going away. I would be more accurate with my measure of the fractions covered.

FURTHER IQUIRIES… What other factors of liquid effect mold, and how do they effect them? What do the molds that can survive in deserts and really cold climates look like? (DO NOT PAY ATTENTION TO THIS, THIS IS SIMPLY A REMINDER TO AIDEN ABOUT SOMETHING…SHHHHHH!)