DAVIS, California (AP) ― University of California students who drink coffee to get through the day will soon be able to study the science behind the beverage.

University of California-Davis will host a research conference run by its recently founded Coffee Center.

The center is currently without a dedicated home, but the university hopes to formalize the research in coming years and eventually offer a major in coffee science, the Sacramento Bee reported.

J. Bruce German, director of the university’s Foods for Health Institute, says the conference is first step toward establishing a dedicated coffee research study center ― similar to the school’s Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science.

“We think there is sufficient interest given the fact that so many people have consumed coffee so regularly across the world, for so long,” German said.

“Coffee is not an insignificant contributor to the agricultural footprint.”

The March 11 conference will cover topics such as the genetics of coffee, sustainability in coffee growing and the sensory perception of coffee drinkers.