A shark skin-like material called Sharklet can be used to combat superbugs in hospitals, according to a new study.

The material emulates shark skin in that it has microscopic ridges and grooves that don't hold bacteria that tends to cling to surfaces in hospitals. A sample of the bacteria Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was sprayed on the surface, mimicking a human's sneeze. The Sharklet had 94 percent less MRSA than a smooth surface, beating the other tested material copper which only had 80 percent less.

"Shark skin itself is not an antimicrobial surface, rather it seems highly adapted to resist attachment of living organisms such as algae and barnacles," study researcher Ethan Mann, a research scientist at Sharklet Technologies, which makes the material, said in a statement. "We have learned much from nature in building this material texture."

The study, published Monday in the journal Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control, said the material needs to go through hospital testing and not just laboratory testing. Use in a hospital setting will determine whether it is truly effective.

That still does not discount other safe practices. Doctors and medical must still wash their hands to prevent the spread of bacteria.

Sharklet Technologies is a privately held company that does not disclose financial information publicly.