A team of Harvard scientists has developed a slick way to prevent the troublesome bacterial communities from ever forming on a surface.
The researchers used their recently developed technology, dubbed SLIPS (slippery-liquid-infused porous surfaces), to effectively create a hybrid surface that is smooth and slippery due to the liquid layer that is immobilized on it. The super-slippery surfaces have been shown to repel both water- and oil-based liquids and even to prevent ice or frost from forming.
The technology works in both a static environment and under flow, or natural conditions, making it ideally suited for coating implanted medical devices that interact with bodily fluids. The coated surfaces can also combat bacterial growth in environments with extreme pH levels, intense ultraviolet light, and high salinity.
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