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Naturally occurring peptides capable of killing microbes can be produced by genetically engineered bacteria, according to a report published in Gene. The peptides form the basis of the company's "enhancer technology," which it has licensed from the Canadian Bacterial Diseases Network at the University of British Columbia.

The publication describes successful engineering of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria to express and secrete a biologically active form of cecropin/melittin by fusing the peptide to Protein A. When presented alone, cationic peptides bind to a bacterium's cell wall and disintegrate the wall. When used in combination with antibiotics, the disruption of the cell wall allows the antibiotic to penetrate the bacterium. ...