Understanding the antimicrobial activity of amyloid peptides

Microbial attack on the brain has been suggested as a potential root-cause for dementia,
including Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is now the second leading cause of death in the UK.
The defining diagnostic marker of AD is the presence of amyloid-Beta (ABeta) plaques in the brain.
The precise physiological role of these plaques remains unclear, but recent work is
suggesting a direct connection to bacterial infiltration of the brain. In this project you will
explore the antimicrobial properties of ABeta peptides and determine their mechanisms of
activity.