LSU Biologist Creates "Greener" Biodegradable Mardi Gras Beads

Everyone loves the thrill of catching beads during carnival time, but sadly once carnival season is over most of those uncaught beads end up in the sewer and create big problems for the city. One LSU professor is trying to change that. Biological Science Professor Naohiro Kato discovered a way to make beads from microalgae; these beads will degrade in soil over time. Kato stumbled upon this idea when one of his students forgot to transfer test tubes to a freezer one night. Kato currently has a patent pending on his idea and is currently growing the algae in a kiddie pool to manufacture beads for his experiment. Kato and LSU are working towards a cleaner, greener, and more enjoyable parade season.