Discarded waste products are processed into a slurry and fed to a genetically engineered yeast, which produces nutrients
Scientists at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIU) have developed a way to make 3D-printed cookies using genetically engineered yeast to produce protein and nutrients from plastic and agricultural waste.
The project aims to tackle two of the planet’s crises: plastic waste accumulation and food insecurity.
The team first set out to develop ways to make use of waste plastics, Lahiru Jayakody, an associate professor of microbiology at Southern Illinois University said in an interview with the American Chemical Society (ACS) published on Monday.
“We thought, why not focus on making food? Because plastic is carbon and food is carbon,” he said.
The process starts by breaking down plastic and plant waste with water and oxygen under high temperature and pressure. Genetically engineered yeasts then consume the resulting compounds and produce proteins, fats, and acids. With the addition of fiber, starch, and sweetener, the resulting mix is fed into a 3D printer which molds the paste into any desired shape.
With this technology, the scientists created small protein-rich cookies they dubbed “µBites” or “microbites.” They are waiting for the safety go-ahead from their university to actually taste-test them, however.
The novel technology could be useful in hostile environments, according to Jayakody.
“If you want to produce food in a very extreme environment using the resource you have, carbon resource waste like Arctic, or the desert, and potentially one day in the Mars or the lunar surface, microbeids can do that job,” he told Reuters.
SIU researchers have been developing the technology since 2021, when their µBites concept was selected for NASA’s Deep Space Food Challenge.
The news comes as scientists are paying closer attention to how plastic already unintentionally enters the human food chain.
Researchers have reported microplastics and even smaller nanoplastics in human tissues. A 2025 study published in Nature Medicine detected them in the liver, kidneys, and brain, while a 2026 review published last month said particles had also been found in blood, placenta, and heart tissue.
The particles could pose health risks, with studies linking exposure to inflammation, oxidative stress, cell death, and disruptions to metabolism and immune function. However, researchers say more evidence is needed to determine the effects of long-term exposure in humans.
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