Spider peptides battle superbugs and cancer

As antibiotic resistance rises and fears over superbugs grow, scientists are looking for new treatment options. One area of focus is antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which could someday be an alternative to currently prescribed antibiotics, many of which are becoming increasingly useless against some bacteria. Now, scientists report that they have improved the antimicrobial -- and anticancer -- properties of an AMP from a spider.