Bacteria rapidly evolve to develop resistance to antibiotics, presenting a growing and very dangerous problem. Without improved management strategies and the development of alternatives to antibiotics, bacterial diseases could once again be untreatable and many standard treatments, including surgical operations, could become unusable. To boost the search for new treatment options, in a collaborative project Dr. Birol’s group is focusing on short proteins called antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are produced naturally by various animal and plant species. These host defense proteins can protect against infection or reduce the harm caused by an existing infection.