Interactions of an antimicrobial peptide (Ac-RRWWRF-NH2) and surfactants: Towards antimicrobial peptide additives for coatings applications

This work addresses the impact of formulation variables, specifically surfactant structure, on the behavior of a model antimicrobial. Antimicrobials are used because a number of microbes are able to flourish within the water phase of the latexes resulting in a loss of properties commonly known as 'spoilage'. The model antimicrobial used in this study is a small oligopeptide (known as Combi1) identified as a powerful antimicrobial and has been extensively studied in the areas of pharmaceutics and medicinal chemistry. Monitoring of antimicrobial strength was done through the use of both conventional microbiology methods and high throughput absorbance and fluorescence measurements.