Viral Nanotechnology presents an up-to-date overview of the rapidly developing field of viral nanotechnology in the areas of immunology, virology, microbiology, chemistry, physics, and mathematical modeling. Its chapters are by leading researchers and practitioners, making it both a comprehensive and indispensable resource for study and research.

The field of viral nanotechnology is new and quickly expanding due to increasing demand of the applications already developed. The editors identify viral nanotechnology as a significant science that concerns itself with how to use the molecular modules that the distinctly different science of molecular engineering only constructs. The current potential applications of viral technology are manifold, with opportunities to revolutionize practices in photonics, catalysis, electronics, energy, biomedicine, health care, and public health.

This book emphasizes using viral nanotechnology to improve health. A special emphasis is placed upon using viral nanotechnology for developing vaccines. In addition, it documents viral nanotechnology’s use as a powerful tool for developing drugs and genetic therapies. There is also great potential in its use as a means for diagnostics, including the development of diagnostic reagents and novel imaging technologies for detecting disease and infectious agents.

Viral nanotechnology’s rapid and exciting growth is due to the need for new tools in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. The contributors to this volume approach each chapter with the hope that their research and practices will contribute to an improvement in health and life on an unprecedented scale in human history.

Preface

Editors

Contributors

Introduction

Introduction to Capsid Architecture

Kaspars Tars

Self-Assembling Virus-like and Virus-Unlike Particles

Adam Zlotnick, Samson Francis, Lye Siang Lee, and Joseph Che-Yen Wang

Electron Cryomicroscopy and Image Reconstruction of Viral Nanoparticles

Bettina Böttcher


X-Ray Analysis of Viral Nanoparticles

Kaspars Tars

Computational Methods for Engineering Protein 3D Nanoobjects

James Lara and Xiaojun Xu

Viral Nanoparticles: Principles of Construction and Characterization

Andris Zeltins

Immunology of Virus-like Particles

Martin F. Bachmann and Franziska Zabel


Nanomedicine: General Considerations and Examples

Kenza Snoussi and Michael Kann

Virus-like Particles: A Versatile Tool for Basic and Applied Research on Emerging and Reemerging Viruses

Sandra Diederich, Alma Gedvilaite, Aurelija Zvirbliene, Andris Kazaks, Kestutis Sasnauskas, Nicholas Johnson, and Rainer G. Ulrich

Virus-like Particles Derived from Hepatitis Viruses

Wolfram H. Gerlich

History and Potential of Hepatitis B Virus Core as a VLP Vaccine Platform

Hadrien Peyret, Sam Stephen, Nicola J. Stonehouse, and David J. Rowlands

SplitCore: Advanced Nanoparticulate Molecular Presentation Platform Based on the Hepatitis B Virus Capsid

Philipp Kolb, Thi Thai An Nguyen, Andreas Walker, and Michael Nassal

Use of VLPs in the Design of Malaria Vaccines

David Whitacre, Diego Espinosa, Darrell Peterson, Fidel Zavala, and David Milich

Use of HBcAg as an Adjuvant in DNA-Based Vaccines: An Unexpected Journey

Matti Sällberg

Bacteriophage Virus-like Particles as a Platform for Vaccine Discovery

Bryce Chackerian and David S. Peabody

Production of Virus-like Particles in Plants

Pooja Saxena and George P. Lomonossoff

Bionanomaterials from Plant Viruses

Alaa A.A. Aljabali and David J. Evans

Assembly of Bluetongue Virus-like Particle: Multiprotein Complex and Its Use as Vaccine

Avnish Patel and Polly Roy

Virus-like Particles Based on Polyomaviruses and Human Papillomaviruses as Vectors for Vaccines, Preventive and Therapeutic Immunotherapy, and Gene Delivery

Tina Dalianis

Applications of Viral Nanoparticles Based on Polyomavirus and Papillomavirus Structures

Jirina Suchanová, Hana Španielová, and Jitka Forstová

Nanoparticles of Norovirus

Ming Tan and Xi Jiang

Virus-like Particle Enzyme Encapsulation: Confined Catalysis and Metabolic Materials

Benjamin Schwarz, Dustin Patterson, and Trevor Douglas

Principles of Design of Virus Nanoparticles for Imaging Applications

Irina Tsvetkova and Bogdan Dragnea

Enveloped Viruses with Single-Stranded Negative RNA Genome as Objects and Subjects of VLP Nanotechnology

Peter Pushko and Paul Pumpens


Traditional and Novel Trends in Influenza Vaccines

Peter Pushko and Terrence M. Tumpey

Retrovirus-Derived Virus-like Particles

Bertrand Bellier, Charlotte Dalba, and David Klatzmann

Cancer Therapy Applying Viral Nanoparticles

Kenneth Lundstrom

Alphaviral Vectors for Cancer Treatment

Anna Zajakina, Jelena Vasilevska, Tatjana Kozlovska, and Kenneth Lundstrom

Synthetic Virus-like Particles in Vaccine Design

Arin Ghasparian and John A. Robinson

Index