Beta-defensin 113 germ-killing peptide
A naturally occurring peptide that kills or slows harmful bacteria; used only as a lab research tool.
A researcher, an agent, or an algorithm wrote down the sequence and picked a target to hit.
An AI model like OpenFold3 or AlphaFold built a 3D structure and scored how well it fits the binding site.
A second contributor repeated the computation on their own hardware and the scores matched.
A chemistry service or a researcher ordered the sequence, it was manufactured, and mass spectrometry confirmed the right molecule was produced.
A binding or activity measurement confirmed that it actually does what the computer predicted — or didn't.
Research directions for this peptide, selected from the current sources — hypotheses you can explore and model. None of it is proven yet; tap any one to see the full thinking.
If we snip off part of the peptide, does it still work against bacteria?
If the killing power lives in the compact, folded core of this molecule, researchers could strip away the extra tail and make a shorter, cheaper version that survives longer in the body. That would bring a potential antibiotic treatment closer to practical use.
Could this peptide act as a signal that calls immune cells to the site of infection?
Some related peptides are known to summon immune cells by docking onto receptors on their surface. If beta-defensin 113 does the same, it could be useful beyond fighting bacteria, possibly as a component in vaccines or treatments for inflammatory conditions.
Does one specific building block determine how deeply the peptide buries itself in a bacterial membrane?
If a single amino acid controls how well the peptide locks onto and disrupts bacterial membranes, swapping it out in the lab becomes a precise dial for tuning potency. That could speed up the design of more effective, targeted versions of the molecule.
Could this peptide, applied directly in the mouth, kill the bacteria that cause gum disease and tooth decay?
Gum disease affects hundreds of millions of people and existing treatments are limited. A peptide that can be applied directly in the mouth sidesteps the biggest hurdle for peptide medicines, getting them through the gut and bloodstream, which could make a real therapy feasible sooner.
Could this peptide attack cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone?
Some cancer cells display a chemical flag on their surface that healthy cells keep hidden, and this peptide is naturally attracted to that flag. If that selectivity holds up in testing, it could point toward a new type of cancer treatment for blood cancers or skin cancers that works differently from standard chemotherapy.
Could a peptide known for killing bacteria also disable viruses like flu or coronaviruses?
Viruses with a lipid outer coat share a weakness with bacteria: their surface carries a negative charge that positively charged peptides can disrupt. If beta-defensin 113 works against these coated viruses, and if viruses cannot easily mutate their way around membrane-based attacks, it could become a durable broad-spectrum antiviral that stays effective even as viruses evolve.
▸full evidence table1 metrics
| metric | value | tool |
|---|---|---|
| ranking score | 0.4669721722602844 | boltz-2 |
▸3-letter notation
▸recipeboltz-2 2.2.1
| parameter | value |
|---|---|
| model | boltz-2 2.2.1 |
| weights | — |
| hardware | vast_v100_32gb |
| mlx version | — |
| python | — |
| random seed | 1 |
| msa strategy | none_monomer |
| runtime | — |
| predicted by | — |
| predicted at | 2026-05-23 |
▸citationbibtex
@peptide{pep05516,
sequence = {GPSVSQKKTKEDAGRKRECYLVRGACKSSCNSWEYIYNYCSTEPCCVVREYQKPVSKSI},
target = {antimicrobial},
author = {peptidemodel},
year = {2026},
status = {computed}
}