Altering the Energy Landscape of Virus Self-Assembly to Generate Kinetically Trapped Nanoparticles

Controlling self-assembly is critical to the advancement of nanotechnology. A rugged or crenated assembly energy surface call redirect assembly off path. By using a defined starting point and in energy Surface made rough by 11 strong association energy, we can impose entirely new assembly paths and products Normally, the coat protein (CP) of the Cowpea Chlorotic Mottle Virus (CCMV)assembles into virus-like 28 nm diameter icosahedral particles Here, we have started with the coat protein trapped in a rod-like structure in complex with DNA When these 17 nm diameter rods tire placed under the same; condition, low pH, that normally leads to assembly of 28 nm diameter particles, we instead obtain 17 nm capsids. The extrusion of all-pentamer capsids from the hexagonal lattice of the rod demonstrates the importance of the starting state for controlled assembly.