Bacterial infections continue to pose a major challenge despite advances in modern medicine, particularly in light of increasing antibiotic resistance. The AMPel project investigates how membrane-active peptides can specifically enhance the efficacy of classical antibiotics. The aim is to identify new combinatorial treatment approaches that improve the effectiveness of existing antibiotic therapies.

The project focuses on the high-resolution analysis of interactions between peptides, antibiotics, and bacterial membranes. Using advanced microscopy techniques and adapted bacterial model systems, structural and functional effects of these combinations are characterized in detail. This approach makes it possible to reveal synergistic mechanisms at the molecular level that have so far been largely inaccessible with conventional methods.

AMPEL is funded within the Leibniz Competition (SAW) initiative.

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