Investigating the therapeutic relevance of novel antimicrobial peptide variants against fast-evolving multidrug-resistant pathogens
Under the direction of Dr. Imroze Khan (Department of Biology), this project addresses the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR)—a major global health threat caused by microbes developing resistance to widely used antibiotics.
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged as promising alternatives due to their broad-spectrum activity and reduced resistance rates, attributed to their cocktail mode of action. While recent advances in deep learning models have expanded the repertoire of novel AMPs, their clinical success remains limited due to resistance evolution against individual peptides.
To bridge this gap, the study examines the evolutionary basis of AMP diversity and integrates these parameters to design optimised AMP cocktails for therapeutic use. By leveraging evolutionary insights, this approach aims to enhance the efficacy and durability of antimicrobial treatments in the face of rising drug resistance.
