Biodegradable Mardi Gras Beads Update
01/28/2019

Biodegradable Mardi Gras beads and doubloons developed by LSU Department of Biological Sciences Associate Professor Naohiro Kato that could help prevent tens of thousands of pounds of plastic from entering the environment every Mardi Gras season. Photo Credit: Paige Jarreau, LSU.
BATON ROUGE – LSU Department of Biological Sciences Professor Naohiro Kato is refining
the process to make biodegradable Mardi Gras beads. He has patent applications pending on various formulations and methods of making
the biodegradable beads that could help prevent tens of thousands of pounds of plastic
Mardi Gras beads from entering the environment every year.
For one of his inventions, Kato has developed a process in which to grow a species
of microscopic algae called diatoms, harvest it and process it into a powder that
can form throw beads and doubloons. After the fun is had, these celebratory throws
will biodegrade in soil in about one to two years.
The biggest challenge to production is offsetting the high cost to manufacture a more
environmentally sustainable bead. Kato estimates that it will cost about $40,000 to
produce the first batch of 3,000 biodegradable bead necklaces or about $13 per necklace;
although a second batch could be produced for $1 or less per necklace. He has received
some assistance from the LSU Board of Supervisors’ Leveraging Innovation for Technology
Transfer, or LIFT2 grant. He has also been approached by angel investors.
Meanwhile, Kato has identified a viable market for the extraction of various compounds
found in algae that could help offset the cost of the beads — the nutraceutical industry,
which distributes nature-based products for supplements, cosmetics and food, could
benefit from the sourcing of these materials from algae. From the diatoms he has grown,
Kato has been able to extract an antioxidant called fucoxanthin, which has been shown
to have natural anti-cancer properties as well. Fucoxanthin is a highly valuable product
equating to about a $300 million industry. Kato said that he can sell about 1 pound
of the powered form of fucoxanthin for roughly $50,000.
The by-product after extracting fucoxanthin includes other proteins from the algae
that would be used to make the biodegradable beads. Kato is collaborating with LSU
AgCenter Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering Charles P. Siess Jr.
Professor Dorin Boldor on the extraction process. Similarly, LSU AgCenter’s School
of Renewable Natural Resources Roy O. Martin Sr. Professor in Composites and Engineered
Wood Products Qinglin Wu is working on developing another variation of a bead made
with wood fiber that also could be used to make Mardi Gras throws more environmentally
friendly.
Meanwhile, Kato is in discussion with a nutraceutical company and awaiting a contract
in order to begin production of biodegradable Mardi Gras beads.
Additional Link:
Biodegradable Mardi Gras Beads: LSU biologist invents a way to make Mardi Gras more
green:
https://www.lsu.edu/mediacenter/news/2018/02/06bio_kato_beads.php
Contact Alison Satake
LSU Media Relations
225-578-3870
asatake@lsu.edu