How do the binary AMP-antibiotic mixtures interact with inner and outer membranes of Gram-negative bacteria?

Cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are comprised of hydrophobic and cationic amino acids. Lysine and arginine are the primary sources of cationicity. Aspartic acid (D), which is pH-responsive in the physiological pH range, can adjust cationicity and self-assembly in AMPs. AMPs with environment-responsive actions are potentially good carriers for loading traditional antibiotics, with the combined systems offering great promise for synergetic treatments against pathogenic bacteria based on different working mechanisms. However, the process of the combined administration of AMP and antibiotic targeting to bacterial membrane remains largely unknown. The aim of this work is to understand how binary mixtures of AMP and antibiotic interact with bacterial membranes. Neutron reflection (NR) offers a fantastic opportunity to pursue this scientific quest on the structural basis.