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This summer, NASA awarded Clemson University researchers a three-year grant to study methods for transforming human waste into vitamins, plastics, and other useful materials for long-duration space flight. The South Carolina scientists will receive $200,000 per year for their research project, officially titled "Synthetic Biology for Recycling Human Waste into Food, Nutraceuticals, and Materials: Closing the Loop for Long-Term Space Travel." With the advanced alchemical process, the researchers say, they can use genetically engineered yeast to synthesize plastics from the waste. The plastics can then be used in 3D printing machines to make tools and parts on demand. NASA hopes the Clemson team can find new ways to recycle waste -- including carbon dioxide from human breathing, urine, and ...

In 2013, investigative journalism outfit ProPublica reported on the crusade of Dr. Daniel Budnitz, who wanted to save children from fatal medication poisoning. Dr. Budnitz is a scientist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and he believed a new plastic closure called a flow restrictor could stop kids from accidentally swallowing toxic amounts of medications like acetaminophen. Budnitz isn't just a professional epidemiologist; he's also a father. When he discovered that 74,000 kids like his end up in the emergency room each year from such poisonings, he made it his personal mission to reduce such drug overdoses. Because even more troubling, ProPublica revealed internal documents from Food and Drug Administration scientists who had been advocating behind-the-scenes for the ...