Sharklet (Terra Futura)

Sharklet was a material patterned on sharkskin. It prevented bacteria from forming colonies.

(Note: The background section of this page uses most of the same words as the liquid glass spray page of Terra Futura to save time.)

Background
Bacteria had been a problem since the evolution of multi-celled life. Penicillin, the first antibiotic, was discovered in 1928. Since then, more and more antibiotics had been discovered. Antibiotics were being used to kill bacteria. Unfortunately, they could not all of the bacteria. Only 99 percent could be killed. The 1 percent left was often the strongest. Soon, bacteria were developing resistance to antibiotics. A new solution needed to be found. A new concept was discovered that could prevent bacteria from gaining a foothold: Liquid Glass Spray.

Liquid Glass Spray was invented by a German company known as Nanopool. It was a mixture of sand and water. If coated on a surface, there would be a layer 100 nanometers thick. That was 500 times smaller than a human hair. It was flexible and even breathable. It allowed air to pass through. It was water-resistant and formed a barrier that was effective against dirt, bacteria, acid, heat, and UV light. Because bacteria found it almost impossible to replicate, disinfectants became obsolete. When applied to buildings, liquid glass spray could protect against water, heat, and UV light. When applied to the non-edible parts of food crops, liquid glass spray repelled insects and increased resistance to fungal disease. Liquid Glass Spray was not the only solution to the problem of bacteria. There was another: Sharklet.

Description
Tech Level: 10

The dermal denticles of sharkskin were capable of preventing the growth of algae and bacteria on a shark. This led scientists to create a non-toxic plastic film called Sharklet. Sharklet was modeled after the dermal denticles in sharkskin. Sharklet prevented bacteria from forming colonies. It was first applied to hospitals where hospital-acquired infections was a problem. This was reduced. Soon, Sharklet was applied to almost every surface. It could also be found on medical devices and OEMs. Add liquid glass spray to the mix and bacteria would never grow on the surfaces. This reduced the number of deaths from infections.