Meals on Mars to be made from plastic waste, says NASA-affiliated 3D food tech expert

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BY SADE AGARD 

Sade Agard

Beehex is developing deep-space food solutions using various 3D-printed food technologies.

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Founded by NASA-affiliated entrepreneur and engineer Anja Contractor, the idea stemmed from giving astronauts exact, individualized, 3D-printed meals in microgravity.

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"On one side, plastic waste is collected, which will be shredded. It will eventually move into the bioreactor, which contains very specific engineered bacteria," he said.

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Dr. Jenna Crowe-Riddell

IE learned that the engineered bacteria eat the plastic and convert it into biomass. This biomass can then be used to produce a variety of textures and shapes.

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As you can imagine, printing 3D meals could help tackle food issues right here on Earth.

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Contractor revealed that the project is funded by ARPA one of the biggest government-backed forces behind innovation in the US.

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"Especially for the U.S. Army or Marine Corps, that is what we are targeting, for it's the most tangible plan," he added.

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Contractor stated that the market is marked as roughly in the range of 500 million to one billion dollars.

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