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Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Production and Testing of Antimicrobial Peptides and Their Mimics
Published on: April 10, 2026
Synthetic mimic of antimicrobial peptide with nonmembrane-disrupting antibacterial properties
Gregory J Gabriel1, Ahmad E Madkour, Jeffrey M Dabkowski
1Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.
Abstract:
Polyguanidinium oxanorbornene ( PGON) was synthesized from norbornene monomers via ring-opening metathesis polymerization. This polymer was observed to be strongly antibacterial against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria as well as nonhemolytic against human red blood cells. Time-kill studies indicated that this polymer is lethal and not just bacteriostatic. In sharp contrast to previously reported SMAMPs (synthetic mimics of antimicrobial peptides), PGON did not disrupt membranes in vesicle-dye leakage assays and microscopy experiments. The unique biological properties of PGON, in same ways similar to cell-penetrating peptides, strongly encourage the examination of other novel guanidino containing macromolecules as powerful and selective antimicrobial agents.
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