Level 1 - Absolute Beginner
Scientists at a university in the United States make a new kind of cookie. The university is called Southern Illinois University Carbondale. NASA gives money for this work. The cookie is called a muBite.
The scientists use old plastic bottles. Many bottles are made from a plastic called PET. The scientists break the plastic into small pieces. They use water, oxygen, heat, and pressure to do this.
Then special yeast eats the small pieces. One kind of yeast makes a vanilla flavor. Another kind of yeast makes an orange color. The orange color can help the body make vitamin A.
The cookie is for astronauts who travel to space, like on trips to Mars. Scientists have not eaten the cookie yet. They are waiting for permission to test it. The idea could also help people in submarines or after disasters, and it could help with plastic waste too.
- scientists
- People who study the world and do experiments to learn new things.
- plastic
- A light, strong material used to make bottles and many other things.
- bottles
- Containers used to hold drinks or liquids.
- yeast
- A tiny living thing used to make bread rise and, here, to make food.
- vanilla
- A sweet flavor often used in cookies and desserts.
- orange
- A color between red and yellow.
- astronauts
- People who travel and work in space.
- machine
- A tool that does a job using power, like printing or cutting.
Level 2 - Elementary
Researchers at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, working on a NASA-funded project, have engineered yeast that can turn waste plastic bottles into food. The team nicknamed their creation "muBites," a protein-rich cookie made using a 3D food printer.
The process starts with PET plastic, the kind used in most drink bottles. Using water, oxygen, high heat, and high pressure, the plastic is broken down into smaller, carbon-rich molecules that yeast can use as food.
One engineered strain of baker's yeast produces vanillin, a vanilla flavor, from a plant compound called ferulic acid. A different, adapted yeast called Rhodosporidium toruloides turns ethylene glycol, which comes from the broken-down plastic, into beta-carotene, an orange pigment linked to vitamin A.
These yeast-made ingredients are combined with more yeast-derived protein, fiber, starch, and sweeteners, then printed and cooked in a microwave. The whole process takes 33 steps, one to two days, and costs about $60 for one kilogram of cookies, so it is still expensive and slow. The project connects to NASA's Deep Space Food Challenge, which looks for new ways to feed astronauts on long trips, such as to Mars, without needing frequent resupply from Earth. Although some headlines already call muBites an edible plastic cookie, the researchers have not formally eaten them yet; they are waiting for approval to run real taste tests, and they say the idea could also help in submarines, disaster zones, or with plastic waste and food shortages.
- engineered
- Carefully designed or changed using science to do a specific job.
- protein-rich
- Containing a large amount of protein, a nutrient the body needs.
- molecules
- Very small groups of atoms joined together, too small to see.
- ferulic acid
- A compound found in plants that can be turned into vanilla flavor.
- pigment
- A substance that gives something its color.
- resupply
- A fresh delivery of food or other supplies.
- nicknamed
- Given a short, informal name instead of the full name.
- compound
- A substance made from two or more elements joined together.
Level 3 - Intermediate
At Southern Illinois University Carbondale, researchers working on a NASA-funded project have engineered strains of yeast capable of converting waste PET plastic and agricultural waste into ingredients for a novel, protein-rich cookie the team has nicknamed "muBites."
The process begins by breaking down PET plastic, the material used in most drink bottles, using water and oxygen under high heat and pressure, yielding smaller, carbon-rich molecules that serve as raw material for the engineered yeast.
One strain of baker's yeast has been engineered to produce vanillin, a compound responsible for vanilla flavor, from a plant-derived compound called ferulic acid, while a separate, adapted strain, Rhodosporidium toruloides, converts ethylene glycol, itself derived from the broken-down plastic, into beta-carotene, a natural orange pigment that also serves as a precursor to vitamin A.
These yeast-derived ingredients are combined with additional yeast-based protein, fiber, starch, and sweeteners, then extruded through a 3D food printer and cooked in a microwave. The entire process currently involves 33 steps, takes one to two days, and costs about $60 to produce a single kilogram of cookies, making it far from cheap or fast. The work responds to NASA's Deep Space Food Challenge, which seeks new ways to feed astronauts on long-duration missions, such as to Mars, without relying on frequent resupply from Earth. Although headlines have described the cookies as "edible plastic," the researchers themselves have not yet formally eaten muBites; while safety data suggests they are safe to consume, the team is still awaiting institutional approval to conduct formal human taste tests. Beyond space travel, the researchers note potential uses closer to home, including submarines, disaster zones, and broader efforts to address plastic waste and food security.
- converting
- Changing something from one form or use into another.
- yielding
- Producing or giving rise to something as a result.
- raw material
- A basic substance used as the starting point for making something else.
- derived
- Obtained or developed from a particular source.
- precursor
- A substance from which another, usually more useful, substance is formed.
- extruded
- Pushed or forced out through an opening, often to shape a material.
- long-duration
- Lasting for a long period of time.
- institutional
- Relating to an established organization, such as a university, and its official rules.
Level 4 - Advanced
At Southern Illinois University Carbondale, a team of researchers operating under a NASA-funded initiative has engineered strains of yeast capable of transforming waste PET plastic and agricultural biomass into the constituent ingredients of a novel, protein-rich cookie the scientists have playfully dubbed "muBites."
The process begins with the breakdown of PET plastic, the material from which most beverage bottles are made, using water and oxygen under conditions of high heat and pressure; this yields smaller, carbon-rich molecules that the engineered yeast can metabolize as raw feedstock.
A modified strain of ordinary baker's yeast has been engineered to synthesize vanillin, the compound responsible for vanilla's characteristic flavor, from a plant-derived precursor called ferulic acid, while a second, more exotic strain, Rhodosporidium toruloides, metabolizes ethylene glycol, itself a byproduct of the broken-down plastic, into beta-carotene, a naturally occurring orange pigment and precursor to vitamin A.
These microbially produced ingredients are blended with additional yeast-derived protein, fiber, starch, and sweeteners, then extruded through a 3D food printer and finished in a microwave. The entire procedure currently spans 33 discrete steps, requires one to two days, and costs roughly $60 per kilogram of cookies, figures that underscore how far the technology remains from anything resembling a cheap, fast solution. The undertaking is tied to NASA's Deep Space Food Challenge, an effort to devise new ways of feeding astronauts on lengthy missions, potentially to Mars, without depending on frequent resupply from Earth. Notwithstanding headlines proclaiming an edible plastic cookie, the researchers have not yet formally sampled muBites themselves; preliminary safety data suggests the product is fit for consumption, but the team is still awaiting institutional approval to conduct formal human taste trials. The researchers further note that the underlying technology could find applications well beyond spaceflight, including aboard submarines, in disaster relief zones, and as part of broader strategies to confront plastic waste and food insecurity.
- biomass
- Plant or other organic material used as a raw material or energy source.
- metabolize
- To break down and use a substance as fuel or raw material within a living organism.
- feedstock
- Raw material supplied to a machine or process, here to living cells.
- synthesize
- To produce a substance by combining simpler materials through a chemical process.
- byproduct
- A secondary substance produced while making something else.
- notwithstanding
- Despite; in spite of.
- preliminary
- Coming before the main part of something, often as an early stage.
- insecurity
.jpg%3Fwidth%3D800&w=3840&q=75)
Talk about this article with KatePractice this story's vocabulary in a real spoken conversation with your AI tutor