*2.1. Peptide Design*

The shortest active peptide fragment derived from cathelicidin LL-37, KR12, was used as a template to design three peptides of varying antimicrobial activity. The peptide sequences and various properties are summarised in Table 1.

**Table 1.** Table showing the used peptides sequences, including their charge, hydrophobicity, and amphiphacity, determined by hydrophobic characteristics. Within the sequences, positively charged residues are marked in blue, the negatively charged in red, and highly hydrophobic sequences are underlined.

