Our daily news digest will keep you up to date with engineering, science and technology news, Monday to Saturday.
By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Policies You may unsubscribe at any time.
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. …