Placing real sharkskin on the soles of footwear keepings sailors from slipping on wet decks. Moreover, using synthetic sharkskin to cover ship hills or to make swimsuits allows both the ships and the swimmers to glide andwith more speed with less friction through the water. Biomedical engineers are experimenting with covering hospital surfaces with simulated sharkskin to prevent the adherence of bacteria that cause the spread of dangerous infections in patients' rooms.