Viruses and their uses in nanotechnology

The use of materials derived from natural sources in materials science has allowed the harnessing of complex structures resulting from eons of evolutionary fine-tuning. A better understanding of the structure and function of viruses has revealed a collection of natural molecular assemblies and containers with a variety of shapes, sizes, stabilities, dynamic properties, and chemical reactivities. Viruses are increasingly being used in materials science, engineering, and nanotechnology as tools and building blocks for electronics, chemistry, and biomedical science. Here we discuss different types of viruses presently in use, their physical properties, and their potential uses in a variety of nanotechnology applications.