Researchers make a special glass that cleans biofilm with light [Video]

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All one has to do to get in touch with slime is stick their hand down a sink, says Mariana Lanzarini-Lopes, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at UMass Amherst.

The accumulation of slime, or biofilm, on wet surfaces is called biofouling. And if biofilm can cover a sink, it can take over oceanic vessels and equipment.

A problem for the US Navy

For the US Navy, biofilm poses a $180-260 million problem as these pesky micro-organisms cover wet surfaces and cause corrosion. That leads to more waste: time, money, and in the ocean.

The U.S. Office of Naval Research teamed up with UMass Amherst to solve the problem.

Currently, chemicals are used to disinfect surfaces and prevent biofouling. …