Development of new antibacterial agents based on lytic enzymes produced by bacteriophages
This project proposes to exploit phage endolysins as sources of novel antibacterial agents that interact with membranes. It was planned to 1) combine, by chemical methods, endolysins incapable of passing through the outer membrane of bacteria with peptides that degrade the bacterial wall and 2) use fragments of endolysin sequences that exhibit membrane activity against Gram-negative bacteria to identify new peptides with antibacterial properties. In addition, peptide modifications are planned to enhance the membrane activity and biostability of the proposed compounds. The focus is on modifications ensuring the stability of the helices.
This project will open up new possibilities for using phage endolysins as sources of biologically active molecules. The strategies developed in implementing the proposed tasks may lead to the discovery of new pathways for designing antibiotics against Gram-negative bacteria.
Principal Investigator: dr Monika Wojciechowska
Project period: 2024 – 2029
Funding: National Science Centre, Sonata Bis 13
