Membrane-Acting Peptides Bioactive peptides regulate many physiological processes, acting at some sites as endocrine or paracrine signals and at others as neurotransmitters or growth factors, have important and positive impacts on human health including antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, and antitumor activities. In this project, we will explore a new rationale design approach to membrane-acting peptides. We will: 1) design and develop new bioactive peptides based on on-membrane peptide assembly; 2) study the biological implications of peptides in vitro; 3) evaluate the pharmaceutical significance of promising peptides on disease cells and co-cultures.