Douglas Trevor, Young Mark
Center for Bio-Inspired Nanomaterials, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA.
Science. 2006 May 12;312(5775):873-5. doi: 10.1126/science.1123223.
The study of viruses has traditionally focused on their roles as infectious agents and as tools for understanding cell biology. Viruses are now finding a new expanded role as nanoplatforms with applications in materials science and medicine. Viruses form highly symmetrical monodisperse architectures and are ideal templates for engineering multifunctionality, including multivalent display of surface ligands and encapsulation of inorganic and organic materials. These developments assure that viruses will find applications as versatile nanoscale materials.
传统上，对病毒的研究主要集中在它们作为传染原以及理解细胞生物学的工具所起的作用上。如今，病毒正作为纳米平台在材料科学和医学领域找到新的、更广泛的用途。病毒形成高度对称的单分散结构，是用于设计多功能性（包括表面配体的多价展示以及无机和有机材料的封装）的理想模板。这些进展确保病毒将作为多功能纳米材料得到应用。
