Overview
- Scientists at Southern Illinois University Carbondale presented prototypes called 'µBites' at the American Chemical Society meeting after using a multi‑step process to turn PET plastic and agricultural residues into a printable food paste.
- The method first breaks down PET and biomass with a heat‑and‑oxygen hydrothermal oxidative dissolution reactor so microbes can consume the resulting small molecules.
- Engineered baker’s yeast then ferments those breakdown products into proteins, fats, acids and flavor compounds, with strains reported to produce a vanilla aroma and convert ethylene glycol into beta‑carotene.
- The team says it recovers more than 50% of the carbon today and aims for near‑complete conversion, but prototypes have not been taste‑tested by humans and remain subject to university safety approval.
- Researchers and outside experts note current limits including an estimated production cost of about $60 per kilogram, unclear scalability for global plastic waste, and a nearer‑term fit for closed or extreme environments such as long‑duration space missions.