The present invention is directed to a novel class of antimicrobial agents called γ-AApeptides. The current invention provides various categories of γ-AApeptides, for example, linear γ-AApeptides, cyclic γ-AApeptides, and lipidated γ-AApeptides. γ-AApeptides of the current invention are designed to exert antimicrobial activity while being stable and non-toxic. γ-AApeptides also do not appear to lead to the development of microbial resistance in treated microorganisms. Thus, the disclosed γ-AApeptides can be used for the treatment of various medical conditions associated with pathogenic microorganisms.
