AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Wednesday, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin said they partnered with North Carolina-based company Smart Material Solutions Inc. to develop a new method to keep dust from sticking to surfaces.

According to the researchers, the result of the new technology was the ability to make many types of materials dust resistant, from spacecraft to solar panels to household windows.

“Dust is a common fact of life, and it’s more than just a daily nuisance – it can get into machinery and equipment, causing loss of efficiency or breakdowns,” researchers said.

The research was published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, according to UT.