There's a battle brewing underwater. Every year millions of dollars are spent combating bacterial films, called biofilms , that grow relentlessly beneath ships, corroding the structure, clogging undersea sensors, and adding drag that can increase fuel consumption by up to 40 percent . Ship hull covered with biofilm scum. Image Credit: Graham B . Now, scientists at Duke University have developed a new dynamic material that can be painted onto the bottom of boats and will shake off even tenacious bioscum. Key to the effective and environmentally friendly new material , published this month in the journal Advanced Materials , is the ability to "wrinkle" at the microscopic scale.
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