美国研究人员开发出一项突破性技术，可将塑料废料和农业废弃物转化为可食用的营养食品。1南伊利诺伊大学卡本代尔分校的研究团队利用基因工程改造的酵母菌，通过氧化水热溶解法在高温高压条件下分解聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯（PET）塑料及玉米秆等农业废弃物，使其转化为蛋白质、脂肪、维生素、β-胡萝卜素和香草香料等食品成分。1这些成分随后通过3D打印技术制成名为µBites的蛋白质丰富饼干。1
该项目由NASA深空食物挑战赛和国家科学基金会CAREER计划资助，旨在应对日益严峻的全球挑战。1据预测，到2050年前全球粮食需求将上升35%至56%，全球约30%的人口面临饥饿风险。1研究人员Lahiru Jayakody表示，"微生物非常聪明。所以我们利用它们的特性来解决我们制造的问题。"1这项技术不仅可解决塑料污染问题，还能为太空任务等极端环境提供食物供应。1研究团队预计这一产品在未来几年内可供公众消费。1
Researchers at Southern Illinois University Carbondale have developed a novel process that transforms plastic waste and agricultural byproducts into nutritious food ingredients, which are then fabricated into protein-rich cookies called µBites through 3D printing.1 The project converts polyethylene terephthalate (PET)—a plastic commonly used in beverage bottles—using a hydrothermal oxidation method that breaks down the material under high temperature and pressure in the presence of water and oxygen.1 The resulting byproducts are processed by genetically engineered yeast to produce protein, fat, vitamins, beta-carotene, and vanilla flavoring.1
The research initiative is funded by NASA's Deep Space Food Challenge and the National Science Foundation CAREER program, addressing two critical global challenges: plastic pollution and food insecurity.1 According to projections cited in the research, global food demand is expected to rise between 35 and 56 percent before 2050, with approximately 30 percent of the world's population facing hunger risk.1 Lahiru Jayakody, a member of the research team, emphasized the approach's ingenuity: "Microbes are remarkably intelligent, so we leverage their capabilities to solve problems we have created."1 The team expects the cookies to become available for public consumption within the coming years.1
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