• Skip to main content
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
ERN: Emerging Researchers National Conference in STEM

ERN: Emerging Researchers National Conference in STEM

  • About
    • About AAAS
    • About the NSF
    • About the Conference
    • Partners/Supporters
    • Project Team
  • Conference
  • Abstracts
    • Undergraduate Abstract Locator
    • Graduate Abstract Locator
    • Abstract Submission Process
    • Presentation Schedules
    • Abstract Submission Guidelines
    • Presentation Guidelines
  • Travel Awards
  • Resources
    • Award Winners
    • Code of Conduct-AAAS Meetings
    • Code of Conduct-ERN Conference
    • Conference Agenda
    • Conference Materials
    • Conference Program Books
    • ERN Photo Galleries
    • Events | Opportunities
    • Exhibitor Info
    • HBCU-UP/CREST PI/PD Meeting
    • In the News
    • NSF Harassment Policy
    • Plenary Session Videos
    • Professional Development
    • Science Careers Handbook
    • Additional Resources
    • Archives
  • Engage
    • Webinars
    • ERN 10-Year Anniversary Videos
    • Plenary Session Videos
  • Contact Us
  • Login

Peptides as Potential Antimicrobial Agents

Undergraduate #97
Discipline: Biological Sciences
Subcategory: Microbiology/Immunology/Virology

Brett Barlow - Alabama State University
Co-Author(s): Vincent Onyilo, Atul A. Chaudhari, Vida Dennis, Komal Vig, Shree R. Singh, and Shreekumar Pillai, Alabama State University, Montgomery Al



Bacteria are quickly developing resistance to several of the existing antibiotics that are widely used. To solve this issue, researchers are hunting for feasible alternatives to traditional antibiotics and have found that antimicrobial peptides are worth further examination. In the present study, we investigated the antibacterial activity of five novel antimicrobial peptides purchased from Therapeutic Peptides Inc. (designated as TP226, TP359, TP373, TP556, and TP557). The antibacterial abilities of these peptides were quantified by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay against two Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium) and two Gram-positive (Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria. Our results indicated that all the peptides showed excellent antibacterial properties against all four bacterial pathogens (MIC 7.8-3.9 µg/ml). TP226 was chosen for further investigation against each of the bacterial strains by growth curve analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).The growth curves showed that TP226 hampered the growth of the bacteria in a dose dependent manner. SEM analysis of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus exposed to TP226 showed not only lysis of the bacterial cells, but also hampered cell division. We are currently investigating the antimicrobial activity of TP226 on Salmonella Typhimurium and Streptococcus pyogenes using SEM and qRT-PCR. The long term goal of this project is to delineate the molecular mechanisms of action of TP226 against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Funder Acknowledgement(s): This research was supported by NSF-CREST (HRD-1241701), NSF-HBCU-UP (HRD-1135863), and NIH-MBRS-RISE (1R25GM106995-01) grants.

Faculty Advisor: Shreekumar Pillai, spillai@alasu.edu

Role: I did all of the work dealing with the peptide TP226. That includes the MIC, SEM imaging, growth curves, and qRT-PCR work.

Sidebar

Abstract Locators

  • Undergraduate Abstract Locator
  • Graduate Abstract Locator

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant No. DUE-1930047. Any opinions, findings, interpretations, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of its authors and do not represent the views of the AAAS Board of Directors, the Council of AAAS, AAAS’ membership or the National Science Foundation.

AAAS

1200 New York Ave, NW
Washington,DC 20005
202-326-6400
Contact Us
About Us

  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

The World’s Largest General Scientific Society

Useful Links

  • Membership
  • Careers at AAAS
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Focus Areas

  • Science Education
  • Science Diplomacy
  • Public Engagement
  • Careers in STEM

Focus Areas

  • Shaping Science Policy
  • Advocacy for Evidence
  • R&D Budget Analysis
  • Human Rights, Ethics & Law

© 2023 American Association for the Advancement of Science