Scientists Turn Plastic Waste into Protein-Rich Cookies

Scientists have engineered yeast to transform plastic and crop waste into ingredients for protein-rich cookies.

What if discarded plastic bottles could become part of a protein-rich cookie? Scientists at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIU Carbondale) are developing a microbial upcycling process that converts PET plastic and agricultural waste into edible proteins, fats, vitamins and flavouring compounds.
The resulting cookies, called µBites (microbites), are 3D-printed using these ingredients along with fibre, starch and sweetener. The research is part of a NASA-led effort to explore food technologies that could potentially support people in environments where conventional food supplies are difficult to maintain, including future deep-space missions.

“We were trying to develop technologies for plastic upcycling to make more valuable products,” said Associate Professor Lahiru Jayakody. We thought, why not focus on making food? Because plastic is carbon and food is carbon.”

The researchers have presented their findings at the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) Fall 2026 meeting, taking place from 23-27 August in Chicago.

How Can Plastic Waste Be Turned into Food Ingredients?

The process does not involve grinding plastic and directly putting it into food.

Researchers are working with polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a common plastic used in water and soft-drink bottles. PET and agricultural waste such as discarded corn stalks and leaves are first processed to break them down into smaller, carbon-rich compounds that microbes can access.

The team uses a process called oxidative hydrothermal dissolution, which uses water, oxygen, high temperatures, and pressure to break down difficult materials.

What Are µBites?

The researchers have named their experimental protein-rich cookies µBites, pronounced: “microbites.”

The microbial-derived ingredients are combined with fibre, starch and sweetener. The mixture is then extruded through a 3D printer to create the cookie shape.

The researchers are also working on improving the flavour and nutritional profile of the product.

“We’re using microbes to develop the cookie into a more attractive, consumer-friendly product,” says Jayasekara.

Can Plastic-Derived Ingredients Provide Vitamins?

Researchers are exploring ways to make the cookies nutritionally richer.

One engineered yeast strain can produce vanilla flavouring from plant biomass. Another can convert ethylene glycol derived from PET into beta-carotene, which the body can convert into vitamin A.

This means the research is not simply about creating protein from waste—it is also exploring how microbial systems could produce different nutritional and flavour components.

Why Are Scientists Developing Food from Waste?

The project addresses two major challenges: waste management and food production in resource-limited environments.

Traditional food supply chains depend on farming, transportation, storage, and regular resupply. These systems become much harder to maintain in isolated environments such as spacecraft or disaster zones.

By converting materials that would otherwise be discarded into useful food ingredients, researchers hope microbial upcycling could eventually provide an alternative source of nutrients in such settings.

“Global food demand is expected to rise 35 to 56 percent by the year 2050, and about 30 percent of the world population will be at risk of hunger in the future,” said Jayakody. “The way to address that, I believe, is by using microbes.”

Could These Cookies Feed Astronauts?

One of the potential applications is deep-space food production.

The research forms part of a NASA-led project exploring technologies for future long-duration missions. On missions to the Moon, Mars or other remote environments, transporting every food item from Earth could be challenging.

The researchers therefore envision systems that could reuse available waste materials to produce useful food components. Potential applications could also include submarines and disaster zones, where conventional food supply chains may be disrupted.

What Are the Challenges Ahead?

Despite the unusual idea, several challenges remain before the technology could be used widely.

Researchers need to improve:

• Food safety

• Nutritional composition

• Taste and texture

• Production efficiency

• Cost

• Scalabilit

• Consumer acceptance

The process is currently far from a conventional food-production system. Independent reporting notes that the current system involves many processing steps and remains expensive, highlighting the gap between laboratory research and commercial production.

Conclusion

Scientists at Southern Illinois University Carbondale are exploring an unusual approach to food production by using engineered yeasts to convert PET plastic and agricultural waste into proteins, fats, vitamins and flavouring compounds.

The resulting µBites protein-rich cookies could eventually have applications in resource-limited environments, including disaster zones and long-duration space missions. However, the technology remains experimental, and human taste testing has not yet received approval.

If the approach can be made safe, affordable, and scalable, microbial upcycling could offer an innovative way to reuse waste while producing useful food ingredients—but much more research is needed before plastic-derived food becomes a reality for consumers.

Reference:

1. Microplastics: A Real Global Threat for Environment and Food Safety: A State of the Art Review – (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9920460/)
2. Engineering microbial division of labor for plastic upcycling – (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37752119/)
3. Food Safety and Standards Regulations – (https://fssai.gov.in/food-law/regulations)

Source-Medindia