Determination of the mechanism of bacterial membrane disruption by cationic antimicrobial polymers

Rising antimicrobial resistance poses one of the largest threats to global health, predicted to lead to over 10 million deaths per annum in the UK and US alone by 2050. To combat this issue, we have taken inspiration from natural antimicrobial peptides and developed a library of synthetic, cationic antimicrobial polymers which are effective in inhibiting the growth of clinically relevant MRSA by disrupting the membranes which encapsulate the bacterial cell. Here, we propose to assemble planar floating lipid bilayers containing anionic lipids on functionalised gold surfaces to mimic bacterial membranes. By using neutron reflectometry and exploiting isotopic contrast variation, we aim to determine the mechanism of membrane disruption by cationic antimicrobial peptides whilst obtaining insight into how the properties of these materials infljuence their antimicrobial efficacy.