Antimicrobial agents

Antimicrobial agents are molecules with the ability to kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms. Anti microbial peptides (AMPs) are short and generally positively charged peptides found in a wide variety of life forms from microorganisms to humans, and are essential components of defence against infection. Antimicrobial peptides, also known as host defence peptides, are active against bacteria, viruses, microscopic fungi and protozoa - through targeting different cellular components such as bacterial and fungal cell walls, the viral capsid, enzymes involved in DNA transcription, and cellular metabolism. 

Further reading

Bryskier (2005) Clinical Pharmacology, Anti-infectives.  Editors : Bryskier: Antimicrobial agents: antibacterials and antifungals.  ISBN  9781555812379

Prestinaci et al (2015) Antimicrobial resistance: a global multifaceted phenomenon. Pathog. Glob. Health 109(7) 309 PMID: 26343252

Mookherjee et al (2020) Antimicrobial host defence peptides: functions and clinical potential. Nat. Rev. Drug Discov. 19 311 PMID: 32107480