Every year, over a million people develop health care-acquired infections during their hospital stays. And around 100000 of them die from those complications.

But researchers at the University of Georgia are determined to change that, and their new study shows a promising tool for preventing infections before they happen.

Published in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, the study examined how an innovative coating UGA scientists developed can prevent liquids like water and blood from sticking onto surfaces. The researchers also found that the liquid-repellant coating can kill bacteria and halt blood clot formation on an object’s surface.