AI Boosts Antimicrobial Peptides for New Antibiotics
Supraja
Researchers at The University of Texas, Austin used AI to develop a new antibiotic from antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that shows promise in animal trials.
The development addresses the growing issue of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains.
AI was used to re-engineer Protegrin-1, a naturally occurring AMP, to make it safe for human use.
Over 7,000 variations of Protegrin-1 were created to identify modifications that retain antibiotic activity without toxicity.
This approach could significantly accelerate the discovery of new antibiotics and other therapeutics.