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docs: add SEED-006 guidance, C-amidation flag, and MDR strain panel to WET_LAB_HANDOFF (#40) (#40)
* docs: add SEED-006, C-amidation, and MDR strain guidance to WET_LAB_HANDOFF Three additions: 1. MDR strain panel table: recommends MRSA USA300, E. coli ST131, KPC-KP ATCC BAA-1705 for Wave 1 alongside ATCC reference strains. Any hit against MDR strains is immediately publishable as clinically significant. 2. C_AMIDATION_RECOMMENDED flag explanation: directs synthesis team to specify 'C-terminal amide (CONH₂)' in the synthesis order form. Flagged for SEED-004/006 variants with neutral C-termini and charge < 3.0. 3. SEED-006 (Mastoparan-X) section: explains the wasp venom calmodulin- binding mechanism, expected Gram-positive bias, hemolysis protocol, synthesis notes (amidation strongly recommended), and interpretation guidance for novel mechanism confirmation. * fix: remove unused pytest import (ruff F401)
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‎docs/WET_LAB_HANDOFF.md‎

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| `DEAMIDATION_RISK` | N→D conversion at pH > 7.5 | Use pH 7.0 buffer; avoid long storage at room temp |
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| `LOW_CHARGE` | Reduced membrane affinity | Lower expected potency; may need higher test concentrations |
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| `LONG_PEPTIDE (>30aa)` | SPPS yield risk | Expect lower crude purity; order extra crude for purification |
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| `C_AMIDATION_RECOMMENDED` | C-terminal COOH reduces charge and serum stability | **Request "C-terminal amide (CONH₂)"** in synthesis order form — adds ~+0.7 charge, improves stability at zero extra cost |
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### Synthesis Difficulty Rating
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### Initial Screen (MIC Assay)
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- **Organism priority:** *E. coli* ATCC 25922 (Gram-negative standard), *S. aureus* ATCC 29213 (Gram-positive standard)
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**Reference strain panel (Wave 1 minimum):**
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| Organism | ATCC strain | Gram | Rationale |
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|----------|-------------|------|-----------|
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| *E. coli* | ATCC 25922 | − | Gram-negative standard; reference for all AMP comparisons |
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| *S. aureus* | ATCC 29213 | + | Gram-positive standard; reference for all AMP comparisons |
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**MDR expansion (Wave 1 recommended — adds publication significance):**
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| Organism | Strain | Resistance phenotype | Why include |
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|----------|--------|----------------------|-------------|
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| *S. aureus* | USA300 | MRSA (methicillin-resistant) | Clinically prevalent; any hit is immediately publishable |
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| *E. coli* | ST131 (ATCC BAA-2469) | MDR (CTX-M ESBL) | Most prevalent MDR Gram-negative globally |
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| *K. pneumoniae* | ATCC BAA-1705 | KPC (carbapenem-resistant) | Highest-priority WHO critical pathogen |
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Including MDR strains adds only ~3× material cost but increases publication impact substantially.
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Any candidate with MIC ≤ 8 μg/mL against MRSA or KPC-KP qualifies as clinically significant.
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- **Growth medium:** MHB (Mueller-Hinton Broth), cation-adjusted
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- **Inoculum:** ~5×10⁵ CFU/mL (CLSI standard)
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- **Concentration range:** 1–128 μg/mL (2-fold serial dilutions)
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---
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## SEED-006 (Mastoparan-X) Special Notes
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SEED-006 variants are derived from **Mastoparan-X** (INWKGIAAMAKKLL, Yoshida *et al.* 1990),
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a wasp (*Vespa xanthoptera*) venom calmodulin-binding helical peptide. This is structurally
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distinct from the other 5 seeds (magainin-like, cecropin-like, tachyplesin-like).
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**Mechanism:** Mastoparan-X inserts into bacterial membranes via a predominantly
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**hydrophobic helix insertion** mechanism rather than electrostatic carpet disruption.
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It also activates G-proteins and has calmodulin-binding properties.
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**Expected activity profile:**
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- Gram-positive coverage likely > Gram-negative (small outer membrane)
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- May show cooperative ("all-or-nothing") dose-response curves
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- Hemolytic risk: moderate (assay at MIC/3 per QC guidance)
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**Synthesis guidance:**
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- No Cys, no Met → standard Fmoc SPPS, standard storage
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- **C-terminal amidation strongly recommended**: SEED-006_VAR_xxx candidates end in LL (hydrophobic),
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neutral C-terminus. Request `CONH₂` to add +0.7 charge and improve serum stability
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- SEED-006 variants have 2–3 interior Lys → serum t½ estimated ~2–4 h
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**Assay interpretation:**
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- If SEED-006 variants are active but SEED-001–005 are not: supports calmodulin-binding mechanism;
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consider calmodulin competition assay to confirm novel mechanism
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- High publication value if MIC < 4 μg/mL against MRSA (see MDR panel above)
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---
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## Troubleshooting
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### Too Few Candidates Pass the Gates

‎tests/test_reference_set.py‎

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import csv
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from pathlib import Path
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import pytest
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REF_CSV = Path("examples/known_reference/amp_curated_references.csv")
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CANONICAL_AA = set("ACDEFGHIKLMNPQRSTVWY")
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MIN_LEN = 6

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