Biofouling (i.e., formation of unwanted biofilms) is an anathema as it has serious negative implications and can be extremely costly in many technological areas and to society at large. Examples where biofouling is bete noire range from very mundane (mold on house walls) to very sophisticated (biofouling in micro and nanofluidics). Here a few eclectic examples will suffice to underscore the seriousness of biofouling: bacterial adhesion to medical implants before insertion in the human body can cause complications from infections; barnacle adhesion to ship hull or tankers increases weight as well as friction to water and more energy (fuel) is needed to practically drag these barnacles and they look ugly; bacterial adhesion to heat exchangers reduces their efficiency; mold inside a house is noxious to the denizens of the house.
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