Topic: Research News
Researchers at Southern Illinois University have found a way to convert plastic waste into edible proteins and other food ingredients. They use yeast to break down plastic molecules and create new compounds that can be used to make cookies.
Plastic bottles and cookies may seem unrelated, but scientists have discovered a connection between the two. By engineering yeast, researchers at Southern Illinois University (SIU) Carbondale have developed a system that turns plastic waste into edible proteins, vitamins, flavorings, and other food ingredients.
The approach could help solve two major global problems: plastic pollution and food insecurity. The research grew out of a NASA-led project focused on producing food in space exploration, where astronauts cannot rely on regular shipments from Earth. Associate Professor Lahiru Jayakody explains that they were trying to develop technologies for plastic upcycling to make more valuable products.
The team targeted polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a widely used plastic found in soda and water bottles. PET contains carbon-rich molecules that can be broken apart and rebuilt into useful compounds, including proteins. Instead of using chemical reactions and laboratory solvents, the SIU Carbondale team turned to microbes, which can carry out complex biochemical processes naturally.
Jayakody says,
Implications
Researchers at Southern Illinois University have found a way to convert plastic waste into edible proteins and other food ingredients. They use yeast to break down plastic molecules and create new compounds that can be used to make cookies.
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