Jason Locklin is an associate professor in the department of chemistry and College of Engineering and Director of the New Materials Institute, a transdisciplinary and collaborative effort to research and develop new processes, products, and materials based on green engineering principles. Locklin’s research is focused on biodegradable polymers, surface coatings and stimuli-responsive hydrogels, leading to 10 invention disclosures and 12 issued patents worldwide, in addition to dozens of pending applications. Microbial contamination is a serious concern in several areas such as textiles, food packaging, processing and storage, water purification, medical devices, and surgery equipment. Antimicrobial agents are of keen interest to academia and industry because of their potential to provide safety benefits to many materials. The recently patented technology developed by Locklin and his colleagues at UGA provides highly efficient methods and inexpensive compositions for the permanent attachment of antimicrobial films, as well as other materials, onto any surface.