Nanobiotechnology involves the exploitation of biomaterials, devices or methodologies at the nanoscale. Virus particles are natural nanomaterials and have received particular attention as novel building blocks for materials design and fabrication. In this volume, leaders in the field of viral nanobiotechnology address the fundamental means for generating virus-based nanoparticles by performing chemistry on virion substrates, multilayered arrays and hybrid virus networks incorporating materials such as quantum dots and carbon nanotubes. The use of virus-like protein cages to generate novel materials that can be used for biomedical applications such as biomedical imaging and vaccine purposes is discussed. Finally, the novel tumor-targeting properties of certain viruses are harnessed to achieve specificity in vivo. This volume describes the unprecedented opportunities to capitalize on the vast knowledge of virus particles and their physical and material properties. Viral nanoparticles (VNPs) serve as excellent nanobuilding blocks for materials design and fabrication. The main advantages are their nanometer-range size, the propensity to self-assemble into monodisperse nanoparticles of discrete shape and size, the high degree of symmetry and polyvalency, the relative ease of producing large quantities, the exceptional stability and robustness, biocompatibility, and bioavailability. Last but not least, the particles present programmable units, which can be modified by either genetic modification or chemical bioconjugation methods.

1;Preface;5<br />2;Contents;7<br />3;Contributors;8<br />4;Chemical Modification of Viruses and Virus- Like Particles;10<br />5;Structure-Based Engineering of an Icosahedral Virus for Nanomedicine and Nanotechnology;31<br />6;Hybrid Assembly of CPMV Viruses and Surface Characteristics of Different Mutants;67<br />7;A Library of Protein Cage Architectures as Nanomaterials;78<br />8;Biomedical Nanotechnology Using Virus- Based Nanoparticles;101<br />9;Tumor Targeting Using Canine Parvovirus Nanoparticles;129<br />10;Index;148