About this role
Supervisors: Dr. Maximilian Besenhard Dr. Maryam Parhizkar Abstract: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are natural molecules produced by the immune system and represent one of the most promising avenues for developing new treatments against drug-resistant infections. Their rapid action and ability to target bacteria in several ways make it difficult for antimicrobial resistance to emerge. Despite this promise, AMPs have proven challenging to turn into effective medicines, as they are fragile, easily broken down, and prone to losing their activity before reaching the site of infection. Encapsulating AMPs within nanoparticles can protect them and help deliver them precisely where they are needed. However, designing suitable AMP-nanoparticle combinations is complicated. Many formulation ingredients, concentration ratios, and processing conditions influence their behaviour, creating a vast and complex landscape that traditional experimentation cannot navigate efficiently. This project addre...