Astronauts Could Eat Plastic Cookies From Space Missions

A team of scientists, funded by NASA, has developed a novel method to create edible "cookies" from upcycled plastic, potentially revolutionizing food for long-duration space voyages. The innovative process transforms common plastics like PET and agricultural waste into essential nutrients, including proteins and fats, using specially engineered yeasts.

Dr. Lahiru Jayakody, a microbiologist at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and lead researcher on the project, explained the fundamental concept: "My lab works on developing technologies for plastic upcycling. We thought, why not look into food? Plastic is carbon and food is carbon." This insight led to the development of a process that breaks down plastic into smaller molecules, which are then consumed by yeast. These microorganisms, reprogrammed for the task, convert the plastic-derived carbon into biological molecules suitable for consumption.

The resulting nutrient-rich slurry can be further processed and 3D printed into various food shapes, with the current iteration resembling a disc-shaped "cookie." While the team has yet to receive institutional approval for human consumption trials, they have reported that the aroma of the cookies scores highly. "We haven’t eaten them yet because we’re awaiting approval for testing in humans," Jayakody stated before a presentation of the work on Monday at the American Chemical Society meeting in Chicago.

Transforming Waste into Nutrition

This pioneering work is part of NASA's broader Deep Space Food Challenge. The challenge aims to foster new food technologies capable of sustaining astronauts on extended missions, such as a hypothetical three-year round trip to Mars. "When an astronaut goes to Mars, they have to survive in extreme conditions," Jayakody noted. "The round-trip is three years. You have to use everything you have."

The specific plastic targeted is polyethylene terephthalate (PET), commonly found in single-use water bottles. The PET is first subjected to a high-temperature and high-pressure process involving water and oxygen, effectively "digesting" the durable material into smaller, carbon-rich compounds. These compounds then serve as the food source for genetically modified yeast strains.

Beyond nutrient production, another yeast strain has been employed to generate vanilla flavoring from plant biomass, adding a crucial sensory element to the future space diet. While the current production cost stands at $60 per kilogram, researchers anticipate significant cost reductions through improved yeast efficiency and scaled-up manufacturing processes.

The potential applications extend beyond the cosmos. Jayakody suggested that this technology could be invaluable in challenging terrestrial environments, including submarines, disaster relief zones, and even as a mainstream solution to simultaneously address global plastic waste and food insecurity. "Global food demand is expected to rise 35% to 56% by the year 2050, and about 30% of the world population will be at risk of hunger in the future," he said. "The way to address that, I believe, is by using microbes." However, widespread public acceptance of food derived from plastic will likely require a significant shift in perception.