Shanghai Team's AI Model Designs Antimicrobial Lipopeptides, With 44 of 46 Synthesized Candidates Killing Bacteria
Researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University reported in Nature Communications on October 17, 2026 a deep-learning model that designs antimicrobial lipopeptides, peptides with a fatty-acid tail, by accounting for how the tail changes activity. Starting from 2,657 bacterial peptide sequences mined from 96,911 genomes, the model screened 6,197 virtual lipopeptides; of 46 the team made, 44 killed bacteria, a 95.7% hit rate. The lead, LP630, worked against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and mycobacteria and treated infected wounds in mice.