ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Data Journal

The Effect of Membrane Potential on Interactions with Antimicrobial Peptides

Abstract: Antibiotic resistance leads to many thousands of deaths worldwide each year. Mammalian and bacterial cell membranes differ in composition; these differences offer targets for new antibacterial agents, either directly targeting the bacterial membrane selectively or disrupting the ability of bacteria to synthesise the required components. In each case, understanding how the different components interact with one another and with potential antimicrobial agents is key to designing new therapies and is a focus of our research. The aim of this experiment is to determine how penetration of a phospholipid bilayer by a small cationic peptide is related to the electric field across the membrane and to membrane charge. We will use neutron reflectivity (NR) measurements to characterise the electrochemical response of a model system designed to mimic a Gram-negative bacterial cell membrane. These measurements will show how the thickness and solvation change on increasing field strength within a range typically experienced by natural membranes. We will then introduce the peptide to the electrolyte and use NR to determine how the peptide adsorbs on and inserts into the bilayer. The ability of NR to quantify the composition profile will provide valuable information on the extent of insertion and mechanism of membrane disruption. This information can be used to assess the potential for candidate peptides to provide effective treatment of infection and thus aid in the design of new therapies.

Principal Investigator: Dr Sarah Horswell
Experimenter: Miss Erin Thompson
Experimenter: Mr Hasnain Javed
Local Contact: Dr Stephen Hall
Experimenter: Professor Tim Knowles
Experimenter: Dr Thomas Arnold

DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2520400

ISIS Experiment Number: RB2520400

Publisher: STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source

Data format: RAW/Nexus
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Data Citation

The recommended format for citing this dataset in a research publication is as:
[author], [date], [title], [publisher], [doi]

For Example:
Dr Sarah Horswell et al; (2026): The Effect of Membrane Potential on Interactions with Antimicrobial Peptides, STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2520400

Data is released under the CC-BY-4.0 license.