Funding Source: NIH R15/AREA (2R15AI079685); Previously funded by a Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award and by Research Corporation – Bacteria that have developed antibiotic resistance pose an increasing health risk. Antimicrobial peptides are small proteins produced by a wide variety of organisms that represent a potential alternative to conventional antibiotics in the fight against resistant bacteria. One intriguing family of these peptides are the histone-derived antimicrobial peptides (HDAPs), which are derived from the histone proteins that bind nucleic acids in cell nuclei. Research in the Elmore Lab uses a wide variety of experimental and computational methods, including bacterial assays, confocal microscopy, spectroscopic measurements, and molecular dynamics simulations, to characterize the activity and mechanism of HDAPs. We then apply the improved understanding of HDAP structure-function relationships from these studies to design novel peptides for antibacterial and drug delivery applications. These interdisciplinary studies involve significant collaboration with Wellesley undergraduates and faculty colleagues, such as Louise Darling (Biological Sciences/Biochemistry) and Mala Radhakrishnan.