Bacterial membranes contain safety valves called mechanosensitive ion channels, which protect the bacterium from changes in the osmotic pressure of their environment. However, they also represent a possible achilles heal, which we may be able to exploit to help overcome the current rise in bacterial antimicrobial resistance. The ion channels could be actuated by a change in membrane tension caused by therapeutic molecules interacting with the membrane. We will develop a platform in which the ion channel is embedded in a model bacterial bilayer and either specifically tethered or not tethered at the surface. We will use the reflection of neutrons to probe if the addition of the therapeutic peptide causes a change in the curvature/tension of the bilayer in which the ion channels have been embedded and in doing so causes the channel to open, increasing the amount of water in the bilayer.