Scientists Turn Plastic Waste into 3D-Printed Space Cookies

Researchers at Southern Illinois University Carbondale are developing a new food called µBites. The name is pronounced “microbites.” These 3D-printed cookies are designed for long space journeys. NASA’s Deep Space Food Challenge funded the project. Associate professor Lahiru Jayakody leads the research team.

The process starts with PET plastic from items such as drink bottles. The team also uses discarded corn stalks, leaves, and other plant material. Water and oxygen break down this waste under high heat and pressure. This process is called oxidative hydrothermal dissolution. It makes the hard material easier for microbes to use.

Next, specially designed yeast eats the broken material. The yeast changes it into proteins, vitamins, and flavor ingredients. Researchers add fibre, starch, and sweetener to the mixture. A 3D printer then shapes it into cookies. The team says the cookies are safe, but it still needs approval for taste tests.

The researchers want yeast to make all the main ingredients in the future. They can already make vanilla flavor from plant waste with baker’s yeast. Another yeast can change ethylene glycol from PET into beta-carotene. The human body turns beta-carotene into vitamin A. The team hopes to prepare µBites for public use in the coming years.

The project could support people beyond space missions. The cookies may help in disaster areas and places with food insecurity. They could also serve people in submarines or future Moon and Mars colonies. The researchers say global food demand may rise 35 to 56 per cent by 2050. They believe microbes could turn waste into useful food while reducing plastic pollution.