Identification of new antimicrobial peptides: search by machine learning and in vitro validation

• Grant number: 23/07679-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: May 01, 2024
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology - Cellular Immunology
• Principal Investigator: Fabiano Pinheiro da Silva
• Grantee: Fabiano Pinheiro da Silva
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: João Marcelo Pereira Alves

Abstract

Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs) are fascinating molecules that have captured the attention of the scientific community due to their potential for the devel-opment of new drugs. They have been found to not only have direct microbi-cidal activity but also to affect innate and acquired responses in various pathological conditions. Even though more than 3,500 antimicrobial peptides have been identified, it's intriguing that only a small number have been de-scribed in protozoa. We hypothesize that this could be because these are considered neglected disease causative agents. Therefore, our objective is to search for new antimicrobial peptides in these organisms through the use of Artificial Intelligence, comparing their proteome with the protein sequences of all antimicrobial peptides already described. The sequences identified in silico will be subsequently validated by in vitro techniques. (AU)