Carrots come in a rainbow of bright colors — red, orange, yellow and purplish black — because of compounds called carotenoids. They help support eye health by reacting with potentially harmful UV light. Interestingly, the molecular structures of carotenoids, such as beta-carotene, are similar to the building blocks of some polymers. Now, researchers have incorporated a compound derived from beta-carotene into a polymer that’s fully degradable.Carrots come in a rainbow of bright colors — red, orange, yellow and purplish black — because of compounds called carotenoids. They help support eye health by reacting with potentially harmful UV light. Interestingly, the molecular structures of carotenoids, such as beta-carotene, are similar to the building blocks of some polymers. Now, researchers have incorporated a compound derived from beta-carotene into a polymer that’s fully degradable.