Using physical virology and biomolecular engineering to create synthetic biology solutions in biocatalysis, biomedicine, and biocontrol

Virus-like particles (VLPs) assembled from the coat proteins that make up virus capsids have emerged as useful nanoscale structures for applications in biotechnology and nanotechnology. From well-known applications like vaccines and gene delivery vectors, their potential for encapsulation also enables biocatalytic nanoreactors, drug delivery and templating inorganic materials. As a platform for industrial applications, VLPs offer a unique combination of high fidelity self-assembly, amenability to engineering with molecular precision, and production that is biocompatible and scalable. My research group is working towards applications in health and manufacturing by understanding self-sorting of biomolecular cargos into VLPs as they assemble in vivo.