Nasa-Funded Researchers Develop Edible 'Cookies' from Upcycled Plastic and Waste for Space Missions
Researchers, funded by Nasa's Deep Space Food Challenge, have successfully created edible 'cookies' from upcycled plastic and agricultural waste. This innovative technology utilizes specially engineered yeasts to convert plastics and biomass into proteins, fats, and flavorings. The resulting slurry is then processed through a 3D printer to form disc-shaped 'cookies.' Dr. Lahiru Jayakody, a microbiologist at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, who led the project, highlighted the concept by stating, 'Plastic is carbon and food is carbon.' The team has not yet received institutional approval to taste the plastic-derived cookies but reports that they 'receive high marks on aroma.' The project aims to address the challenge of feeding astronauts on long-duration space missions, such as a three-year round-trip to Mars, where resources are extremely limited. The process involves breaking down polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic and other biomass using oxidative hydrothermal dissolution, then feeding the... 
