From the data presented here, we hypothesise that SSAs arrive at the surface of the membrane and increase in local concentration over time, disrupting the phospholipid bilayer enabling the flow of ions (including SSAs) from one side of the membrane to the other. As the local concentration of SSA changes, the degree of phospholipid membrane disruption increases/decreases resulting in the corresponding increase/decrease in current, supported by evidence supplied through planar bilayer patch clamp experiments. These planar bilayer patch clamp experiments also identify the presence of membrane pore or ion channel like behaviour -again supporting the hypothesis that these SSAs can form selfassociated transmembrane structures, capable of facilitating function (ion flow) in a controlled manner -opening and shutting, depending on SSA concentration. Physicochemical analysis of these SSAs performed in the solid and solution state confirm a link between strength of intermolecular hydrogen bond formation, properties of amino acid substitution and higher order self-associated aggregation events. We confirm that SSAs may be developed with activity against both drug susceptible and resistant bacterial infection and cancer; with 9 (or a 1:1 enantiomeric mixture of 7 + 9) showing the greatest broad-spectrum activity against multiple strains of clinically relevant drug resistant and susceptible S. aureus and ovarian cancer cell lines. Finally, we show 9 to exhibit a profile competitive to that of known drugs in in vitro screening experiments, with the results demonstrating tractable ADME properties and defined scope for optimisation. Haemolysis experiments, and