Scientists turn plastic waste and crop residues into edible protein bites

A group of scientists from Southern Illinois University of Carbondale unveiled a novel upcycling technique that transforms polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic and discarded corn stalks into edible protein sources. Using an oxidative hydrothermal dissolution step developed by Professor Ken Anderson, the material is reduced to small molecules that engineered yeast then converts into proteins, fats, acids and flavoring agents.

Graduate student Sandhya Jayasekara programmed the yeast, and the resulting mixture was blended with fiber, starch and sweetener before being shaped by a 3D printer into µBites. The researchers claim the approach could help curb plastic pollution while addressing future food security, especially for space missions, as it was funded by NASA’s Deep Space Food Challenge. Although the cookies have passed safety checks, they await formal approval and sensory evaluation. The team envisions scaling the method for both large-scale feeding and confined environments like spacecraft or submarines.