Strain specializes in studying algae and the way they move. Her first attempt at biodegradable beads were algae-based. LSU graduate student Alexis Strain smiles with the biodegradable beads ...

These efforts started in Dr. Naohiro Kato’s lab, where the professor began the work of producing Mardi Gras beads from microscopic algae in 2021. His goal was to get the beads to decompose in ...

These eco-friendly beads are made using a 3D printer ... “We found that this plastic PLA and PHA, which is one corn-based and one is algae-based, can degrade over time. And with that, we ...

Weibel and his colleagues conjugated polystyrene beads with a photocleavable chemical group that binds to the CR algal wall, and used LED lights to guide algae through clumps of beads. The cells ...

Strain specializes in studying algae and the way they move. Her first attempt at biodegradable beads were algae-based. "We wondered what would happen if we tried to 3D print these tools" Strain said.