Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	EP/C53543X/1
Title:	Novel methods for investigating the kinetic and dynamic behaviour of DNA
Principal Investigator:	Neely, Dr RK
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Sch of Chemistry
Organisation:	University of Edinburgh
Scheme:	Postdoc Res Fellowship PreFEC
Starts:	01 October 2005	Ends:	30 September 2008	Value (£):	140,812
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Chemical Biology Gas & Solution Phase Reactions
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
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Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small gene encoded cationic polypeptides, which typically display broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. As resistance to conventional antibiotics is becoming more prevalent, these peptides are attractive candidates for novel therapeutics. These cationic AMPs bind to anionic constituents in the bacterial membrane in order to disrupt the bacterial cell wall. Bacterial resistance to these fascinating molecules often involves reduction in the anionic charge of the bacterial cell wall; and has been associated with virulence in many pathogenic bacteria.) propose to intelligently design 'targeted-AMPs' which do not rely on electrostatic interactions with the bacterial membrane for activity- thus circumventing the major problem of resistance. These novel 'targeted-AMPs' will consist of a known AMP fused to an autoinducing peptides (AIP). AIP are signalling molecules used in bacterial communication, which bind to specific receptors on the bacterial membrane. We will utilise this ligandlreceptor interaction to locate the AMP in the bacterial cell wall and by selection of the AIP domain we aim to selectively target specific species of pathogenic bacteria. The production of these 'targeted-AMPs' will utilise the latest techniques in protein engineering and will be carried out at the Universities of Edinburgh and Maryland, USA.ing the kinetic and dynamic behaviour of DNA and how this is influenced by DNA binding proteins.
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Organisation Website:	http://www.ed.ac.uk