Antimicrobial resistance represents one of the greatest challenges in modern medicine. At the Institute of Medical Informatics at the University of Münster, we are addressing this issue in a new interdisciplinary research project focused on the development of innovative antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) to specifically target multidrug-resistant pathogens. The project is led scientifically by Prof. Dominik Heider and conducted in close cooperation with the Institute of Medical Microbiology under the direction of Prof. Frieder Schaumburg.

The central aim of the project is the AI-assisted generation of novel AMPs—small proteins of the innate immune system with targeted antibacterial activity. The foundation for this work is the COMPASS database, the world’s largest collection of antimicrobial peptides. Building on this resource, the AI model AmpGPT, developed from the protein language model ProtGPT2, will be further optimized to design peptides with defined mechanisms of action.

“Funding from the Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF) enables the use of state-of-the-art AI methods to develop antimicrobial peptides that are both highly effective and well tolerated, as well as chemically easy to produce,” explains Prof. Heider. “This opens up new perspectives in the fight against multidrug-resistant pathogens.”

A particular focus lies on the targeted fine-tuning of the model to develop peptides with optimized efficacy, low toxicity, and improved solubility. Experimental validation will be carried out in close collaboration with the Institute of Medical Microbiology, where the developed candidates will be tested for their antibacterial activity.

“Collaboration with the Institute of Medical Microbiology is essential to the success of the project,” Heider continues. “Only through the close integration of bioinformatics, AI, and experimental microbiology can we efficiently advance new therapeutic approaches.”

The long-term goal of the project is to establish a new generation of antimicrobial agents and to create additional therapeutic options for combating resistant infections.