Can Computational Design Replace Human Design of Antimicrobial Peptides?

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a class of naturally occurring peptides produced by organisms across multiple kingdoms to defend the host against the invading pathogen. AMPs offer great alternatives to develop the next generation antimicrobial agents. Today, there are 3140 naturally occurring and synthetic antimicrobial peptides identified from six kingdoms according to The Antimicrobial Peptide Database (APD) [1-3], presenting a good arsenal against microbial infection and providing a wide selection for antimicrobial drug development.