Plastic surgeon says the way to reduce the spread of deadly germs is by fist bumping instead of shaking hands The spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria could pose a real threat to health, but one plastic surgeon has the answer: the fist bump. Dr Tom McClellan proposes replacing handshaking with more hygienic - and much cooler - fist bumping as a way to reduce the spread of germs. In a scientific study, McClellan and his team showed how fist-bumping - especially in a hospital setting - reduces the transmission of bacteria significantly. Bumpy ride: President Obama and Michelle Obama bump knuckles on the campaign trail in 2008 Fist over hand: (left) George W Bush and Nicholas Sarkozy try out Obama's move and (right) director David Foster bumps fists with legend Muhammad Ali Many were first introduced to the fist bump, previously ther reserve of the young, the cool or the ironic, when President Barack Obama began using the gesture while on the campaign trail with everyone, including wife Michelle. Bump study: Dr W. Thomas McClellan is proposing doctors adopt the fist bum to reduce the spread of infection Since 2008, it's become steadily more common, with even George W Bush spotted adopting the gesture. MCClellan, a West Virginia plastic surgeon, and his team conducted an experiment measuring the transmission of bacteria from both a fist bump and a handshake. They had a group of clean-handed people shake hands and fist bump and cultured the bacteria on their hands afterward. Published in the Journal of Hospital Infection, the study showed that the handshake exposed three times as much skin to bacteria as the fist bump, and the skin was in contact 2.7 times longer, transmitting much more bacteria. 'We surmise that the fist bump is an effective alternative to the handshake in the hospital setting,' McClellan wrote in the journal. [Bumping] may lead to decreased transmission of bacteria and improved health and safety of patients and healthcare workers alike. The science: Bacterial cultures of a hand (top) and fist (bottom) after 20 handshakes and 20 fist bumps, respectively (Journal of Hospital Infections) Clean shake: Turk (left, Donald Faison) and JD (right, Zach Braff) greet each other hygienically in 'Scrubs' Upper hand: Beyonce and Jay-Z practice the art of the fist bump Cool contact: Prince Charles gets informal with kids in Brixton, London The Washington Post called the Obamas' fist bump 'the fist bump heard 'round the world,' but according to Time magazine, it likely originated in the 1970s - either in the NBA or through Hanna-Barbera cartoon The Wonder Twins. According to Time, Deal or No Deal host Howie Mandel is a germ-phobic who reportedly uses the gesture to limit contact with contestants. The Urban Dictionary describes it thus: 'An alternative to a high five or handshake, often seen in sports. The white person's term for dap. Preferred by germophobiacs such as Howie Mandel. According to Fox News, a terrorist action.