A similar process occurs in human patients during interactions between the pathogenic bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and human immune cells.

To validate these findings, the researchers synthesized 100 of these peptides and tested them against 11 disease-causing bacterial strains, including antibiotic-resistant strains of E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

They found 79 disrupted bacterial membranes and 63 specifically targeted antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

Further tests showed 15 of these isolates -- including examples of Proteobacteria and Firmicutes -- showed varying levels of inhibition against human pathogens including E.coli, Staphylococcus Aureus and Shigella flexneri.

The team has taken several leaps forward in understanding how the immune response works in cases of eczema driven by the common, troublesome Staphylococcus aureus bacterium, and in doing so they have identified new cellular targets for a vaccine.