🍃 MIT’s Tiny Needles Could End Food Waste – Using Melatonin from Plants Themselves!

 We’ve all tossed wilted greens—but MIT scientists may have a game-changing solution: biodegradable silk microneedles that inject melatonin into veggies, extending shelf life by 4 days at room temp and 10 days refrigerated!

Why This Matters:

🌍 30% of global food is lost post-harvest—enough to feed 1.6 billion people.
❄️ Refrigeration isn’t always viable (cost/energy barriers).
🔬 Melatonin (a natural plant hormone) slows aging in crops like pak choy—without altering taste/safety.

How It Works:

• Silk microneedles painlessly pierce tough plant skins, delivering precise melatonin doses.

• Triggers a protective response: preserves chlorophyll, delays yellowing, reduces stress.

• No cold chain needed—ideal for regions lacking refrigeration.

"This could revolutionize post-harvest food preservation globally." — Benedetto Marelli, MIT researcher

What’s Next?

🚜 Scaling up for farms (think: drone applications!).
🥦 Testing on other crops & hormones.
💡 Potential to boost nutrition/texture beyond just shelf life.

#ZeroHunger #FoodTech #Sustainability #MITInnovation #EndFoodWaste