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It's often said, "You can't live only on air." But now the Chinese scientists can tell you: Maybe you can.

Recently, some Chinese scientists have made a big breakthrough (突破). They turned CO₂ into starch (淀粉).

Starch is the main part of rice and corn that we eat every day. Usually, it's created by plants with CO₂, water and sunlight. According to the team's director Ma Yanhe, it takes the plants nearly sixty steps to produce starch. But now, the team, after six years of hard work, has found a simpler way to do this, with only eleven steps.

"Our study shows that creating something like starch is possible in a laboratory, and this technology may be helpful in many areas," said Ma.

The scientists first turned CO₂ and hydrogen (氢气) into methanol (甲醇). Then they made these methanol molecules (分子) into bigger and more complex (复杂的) molecules. Finally the starch came out.

This method makes it possible to produce food in factories instead of traditional farming. This will not only help make plenty of food, but also save water and land. It may also help recycle CO₂ to deal with climate (气候) change, according to China Daily.

The study can be helpful in space, too. Astronauts may no longer need to worry about their food as they travel in space. They may simply turn the CO₂ they breathe out into the food they eat!