The surviving bacteria are often gathered in the form of what is known as a biofilm.

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The duct tape adhesive biofilm will also stick to shoes and spread the biofilm throughout the hospital and from one patient room to another.

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The adhesive biofilm is made to defy removal.

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Dr Jiang reckoned that a cold plasma, particularly one rich in oxygen ions (which are notoriously destructive of organic materials), would be enough to do the job of breaking up a biofilm without harming the patient.

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If, however, they've hitched a ride on a catheter that's implanted into your body, then the bugs can grow a biofilm -- in short, a biological beachhead that will constantly reinfect you and is impenetrable to antibiotics.

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The key use for the gel, however, is likely to be in medical devices that are inserted into the body (pace makers, hip implants, catheters, and so forth), on which biofilm infections can grow and be particularly dangerous.

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Duct tape adhesive is a biofilm.

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