Researchers have developed 'cookies' made from upcycled plastic as part of a Nasa-funded initiative to provide food for astronauts on future space missions. The technology employs specially designed yeasts to transform plastics and agricultural waste into edible proteins, fats, and flavourings.
The process involves feeding genetically reprogrammed yeast with carbon-rich molecules derived from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, a common material in single-use water bottles. This conversion produces new biological molecules, which are then mixed with starch and shaped into edible products using a 3D printer.
Dr. Lahiru Jayakody, a microbiologist at Southern Illinois University Carbondale who led the project, stated that the team has not yet tasted the cookies as they await approval for human testing. However, the researchers report that the products "receive high marks on aroma."
The method was developed under Nasa's Deep Space Food Challenge, which aims to find solutions for feeding astronauts on long voyages, such as a three-year round-trip to Mars. Beyond space travel, the concept could potentially be used in extreme environments on Earth, like submarines or disaster zones, and as a broader solution for plastic waste and food production.