Scientists have found a way to turn plastic waste into edible cookies, with a little help from yeast. Researchers at Southern Illinois University Carbondale demonstrated that they could 3D-print tasty, edible cookies made from broken-down plastic pollution and agricultural byproducts like discarded plant stalks. Using CRISPR gene-editing, the team reprogrammed yeast strains to digest PET, the common plastic found in water bottles and food packaging. First, the plastic is broken down with heat, water, and oxygen; then the yeast feasts on the bits, turning them into proteins, fats, and acids, which are combined with fiber, starch, and sweetener, and one yeast strain even produced vanilla flavoring.
The team printed their treats in the shape of the Greek letter µ [myoo], calling them µBites, though they have not eaten one yet while awaiting university approval; the lead microbiologist said they smell like a real cookie. The process is currently expensive, about $60 per kilogram, and some experts are skeptical it could ever scale, noting the world produces 400 million tons of plastic waste a year. The research, funded partly by a NASA challenge, could also help feed astronauts on long missions.
Source: Futurism
