Deep learning unlocks antimicrobial self-assembling peptides

News & Views
Published: 21 July 2025

Bioinspired materials

Nature Materials (2025)Cite this article

Subjects

A deep-learning framework identifies peptides that show antimicrobial activity against multidrug-resistant bacteria, eradicate biofilms, and treat intestinal bacterial infection in mice.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals

Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription

$32.99 / 30 days

cancel any time

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 12 print issues and online access

$259.00 per year

only $21.58 per issue

Buy this article

Purchase on SpringerLink
Instant access to full article PDF

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

**Fig. 1: Antimicrobial self-assembling peptides are a promising tool to overcome antimicrobial resistance and biofilm-associated infections.**

References

Liu, H. et al. Nat. Mater. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02164-3 (2025).

Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar
Wan, F., Wong, F., Collins, J. J. & de la Fuente-Nunez, C. Nat. Rev. Bioeng. 2, 392–407 (2024).

CAS PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar
Torres, M. D. T. et al. Cell 187, 5453–5467.e15 (2024).

CAS PubMed Google Scholar
Wong, F., de la Fuente-Nunez, C. & Collins, J. J. Science 381, 164–170 (2023).

CAS PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar
Yang, S. et al. Mater. Today Bio 20, 100644 (2023).

CAS PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar
de la Fuente-Núñez, C., Reffuveille, F., Fernández, L. & Hancock, R. E. W. Curr. Opin. Microbiol. 16, 580–589 (2013).

PubMed Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Machine Biology Group, Departments of Psychiatry and Microbiology, Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Xiaoqiong Xia & Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez
Departments of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Xiaoqiong Xia & Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez
Department of Chemistry, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Xiaoqiong Xia & Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez
Penn Institute for Computational Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Xiaoqiong Xia & Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez

Authors

Xiaoqiong Xia
Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

C.d.l.F.-N. is a co-founder of, and scientific advisor to, Peptaris, Inc., provides consulting services to Invaio Sciences, and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Boards of Nowture S.L., Peptidus, European Biotech Venture Builder, the Peptide Drug Hunting Consortium (PDHC), ePhective Therapeutics, Inc. and Phare Bio. X.X. declares no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Xia, X., de la Fuente-Nunez, C. Deep learning unlocks antimicrobial self-assembling peptides. Nat. Mater. (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02299-3

Download citation

Published: 21 July 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02299-3