Page 39 - CEGE Research and Contributions

Reinventing antimicrobials: host defense peptide embedded materials
Novel antimicrobial materials are
critical for building sustainable water supply infrastructure that can address spread of antibiotic resistance genes, limited access to safe water, and ubiquitous biofouling of surfaces. CEGE researchers have designed naturally abundant plant-derived, peptide- enabled sand filters that achieve high removal of E. coli and MS2 viruses. Host defense peptides carry cationic and amphiphilic features that enable vigorous disruption of bacterial cell membranes and molecular binding with virus protein and zero toxicity towards mammalian cells. More importantly, protein synthesis enables precise and highly tunable design of future peptide materials. This provides substantial opportunity for improving disinfection rates and stability, antimicrobial spectrum, and compatibility with current water supply infrastructure to address future challenges. [59–61]
= 0 n
= 1.6 n
= 12 n
= 483 n
= 501 n
Gbinding =-220 kcal/mol MoCBP
MS2
= 539 n
35