The result is that any coating, such as an antibacterial layer, would be "self-repairing" after small amounts of damage, as the molecular chains just below the damaged layer re-cover the surface.

BBC: Coating heals itself after damage

Venezuelan environmentalist Erik Quiroga believes the storms could help repair the damaged ozone layer and is campaigning for the entire ecosystem that produces the storms to be recognized as a Unesco World Heritage site.

BBC: In Venezuela, nature��s most electrifying lightning show

During the dinosaurs' time on Earth, "the atmosphere became charged with methane, which finally damaged the ozone layer and brought about great changes in the vegetation, " it added.

BBC: Ill wind 'killed dinosaurs'

With MS, the protective layer around nerves, known as the myelin sheath, becomes damaged.

BBC: Brain scan of MS patient

The artificial bone, porous and coated with a thin layer of calcium phosphate, is implanted into the arm in place of the damaged bone.

ECONOMIST: MONITOR