Scientists funded through a NASA challenge say they 3D-printed a safe-to-eat cookie made from microbe-built proteins that start with plastic bottles and farm waste.
Story Snapshot
- Southern Illinois University researchers created “μBites,” a food made from plastic and biomass converted by engineered yeast into protein.
- The team reports a safe-to-eat cookie prototype with a taste-panel score above 6.5 out of 9.
- NASA’s Deep Space Food Challenge provided a $25,000 award to support the work and select the team.
- Coverage in 2026 highlights the pathway from plastic-derived compounds to protein-rich, 3D-printed snacks.
What The Researchers Built And Why It Matters
Southern Illinois University researchers developed a process that turns waste into food ingredients. The team starts with plastic bottles and crop leftovers. They break them down into compounds that engineered yeast can eat. The yeast then grows into protein-rich biomass. The group calls the product “μBites,” which stands for microbites. The proteins can be shaped by a 3D printer into foods such as cookies. The aim is to cut waste and make compact food for space travel.
The project connects to NASA’s Deep Space Food Challenge, which seeks new ways to feed crews on long missions. NASA selected the Southern Illinois University group as one of only 18 teams nationwide and awarded $25,000 to advance their concept. The challenge backs systems that work in tight spaces, use little water, and create little trash. This effort checks those boxes by converting trash into useful calories and protein for on-demand meals.
How A Plastic Bottle Becomes A Cookie
The pathway focuses on polyethylene terephthalate, the common plastic in many bottles. Chemists break the plastic into smaller building blocks. Specialized microbes then convert those into amino acids and proteins. The team blends those proteins with materials from crop waste and prepares a printable paste. A 3D printer extrudes the paste into a cookie form. Heating and finishing steps make it ready to taste. Reporting in 2026 confirms this plastic-to-protein method as the project’s core.
Lead researcher Lahiru Jayakody states the group produced a “demonstrably safe-to-eat” cookie. He reports it earned a hedonic taste score above 6.5 on a nine-point scale. That score suggests testers liked it more than neutral. The claim focuses on a prototype stage rather than a store-ready food. The Southern Illinois University release frames the result as a first of its kind using waste biomass and plastic as the carbon source, routed through yeast into edible protein.
Potential Uses On Earth And In Space
This approach could help crews on deep space trips pack less and make fresh food as needed. Turning trash into meals reduces resupply needs and saves room. On Earth, the method could cut landfill use and add new proteins to food systems. It may help during supply shocks or in places with limited farmland. Several outlets describe the work as a way to upcycle plastic and crop waste into protein-rich, 3D-printed snacks that people can eat.
JUST IN: NASA-funded researchers have developed 3D-printed “cookies” using carbon recovered from plastic waste as a potential food source for future deep-space missions.
The process breaks down PET -the plastic commonly used in water bottles – into smaller carbon-rich molecules,… pic.twitter.com/RgjdSx6y9R
— Outer Space Today (@outerspacetoday) August 24, 2026
The field around this idea is growing. Reviews in food science and green chemistry describe a larger push to turn waste streams into microbial protein for food or feed. Researchers study yields, safety, and energy use across many waste inputs. Space food research also tests 3D printing for on-demand meals with less waste. While this Southern Illinois University system is still early, it fits a clear trend toward circular, waste-to-protein food solutions.
What We Still Do Not Know From Public Records
Public materials highlight a working concept and a cookie prototype. They do not show full methods, nutrient breakdown, or large-scale safety testing in detail. The records do not quantify exactly how much of the cookie’s protein comes from plastic-derived inputs versus crop waste. NASA’s award signals interest, not flight approval. These gaps are normal for a project at this stage. Future peer-reviewed papers and pilot trials would fill in cost, scale, and long-term safety data.
Sources:
reddit.com, forbes.com, acs.org, mediaindonesia.com, msn.com, siu.edu, newsclarion.com
