Structural genesis of the chemical addressability in a viral nano-block

Abstract

A plant icosahedral virus of 30 nm was engineered as a substrate for nano-chemistry and as an assembly scaffold for nano-manufacturing. Site-specific reactivity was introduced by the installation of unique sulfhydryl, amine, and imidazole groups on the surface of the virus capsid. The viral particles and arrays were used as templates to pattern and assemble organic compounds, metals, and exogenous proteins. The rational design, engineering, and assembly of supramolecules and nano-materials were aided by imaging techniques of X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy/image reconstruction.