https://phys.org/news/2018-05-simulations-beta-amyloid-neural-cells.html > Ganesan Narsimhan, professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, uses simulations to understand how antimicrobial peptides produced by insects protect them against harmful microorganisms. He's found that these antimicrobial peptides form aggregates and bore into the cells of foodborne pathogens, creating pores that allow intracellular fluid to leak, thereby, killing the cells and alleviating the threat of food poisoning. Since proteins and peptides are normal constituents of all foods, that work holds promise for creating "green" food safety products, such as sprays for fresh produce and packaging films. > Narsimhan knew that antimicrobial peptides had to form small clusters in order to kill pathogenic cells, and he noticed that while beta-amyloid alone does not cause cell death, formation of beta-amyloid aggregates could. He set out to determine whether beta-amyoild and microbial peptides functioned in similar ways to kill cells.