The researchers said the inspiration for their new material came from the lotus plant. They attempted to replicate the method in which the leaves of this plant repelled water. Drops of water either sit on the surface of the leaves or bounce off. Researcher Leyla Soleymani wanted to apply that process to the new plastic. She said: "We're structurally tuning that plastic. This material gives us something that can be applied to all kinds of things." Another researcher, Tohid Didar, said: "We can see this technology being used in all kinds of institutional and domestic settings. As the world confronts the crisis of anti-microbial resistance, we hope it will become an important part of the anti-bacterial toolbox."