Researcher Discovers New Nematode Species in Lab Coffee Machine

A routine cleaning of the nematology department's communal coffee machine has yielded an unexpected scientific discovery: a previously undescribed species of free-living nematode thriving in the drip tray. The organism, formally described in this week's issue of Nematologica as Plectus caffeinensis sp. nov., was discovered by laboratory manager Janet Filter while investigating a persistent odd taste in the department's afternoon espressos. 'I disassembled the machine for deep cleaning and noticed a biofilm in the drip tray,' Filter reported. 'My first thought was bacteria. My second thought was, we are nematologists, we should probably check for nematodes. My third thought was, we have been drinking coffee from this machine for four years.' Microscopic examination revealed a stable population of approximately 200 individuals belonging to an undescribed Plectus species, feeding on the bacterial community sustained by residual coffee. The species is distinguished from its congeners by what the describing paper terms 'an unusually robust pharyngeal pump, possibly adapted to the caffeine-rich microenvironment.' Dr. Roundworm, who co-authored the description, noted that the discovery highlights 'the extraordinary ubiquity of nematodes, which colonize every conceivable habitat on Earth, including, apparently, our appliances.' The department has replaced the coffee machine. The new machine has been placed under a quarterly nematode monitoring protocol. 'We debated whether to keep the old machine as a living culture,' Dr. Roundworm admitted. 'Scientifically, it was interesting. Personally, knowing I have been drinking nematode-adjacent coffee since 2020 has been a lot to process.'