Combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria
20 03 2025
Category: Main page, Research highlights
Researchers from the Biomolecular Machines Laboratory, led by Prof. Joanna Trylska, have developed a promising new class of antibacterial compounds that could help combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The research team designed lysine- and leucine-rich peptides that were “stapled” to maintain their structure and make them more resistant to enzymatic degradation. These short, “stapled” peptides demonstrated antibacterial activity against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacterial strains, with minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) as low as 2 μM.
Importantly, the compounds were not toxic to human cells at their effective doses. Using molecular dynamics simulations, the researchers also discovered how these peptides interact
with bacterial membranes to kill bacteria. Stapling made them more effective in penetrating bacterial membranes. This development is a significant step forward in the fight against
antimicrobial resistance.
Read more in the European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2025.117445.
Biomolecular Machines Laboratory – https://cent.uw.edu.pl/biomolecular-machines-laboratory/
