Plant viruses for three dimensional actuators

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Biological systems commonly show selfassembly to form complex structures. It would be also of interest for technical applications, if complex nano- and microstructures could be produced by selfassembly to reduce production time and costs. In this project the selfassembly of genetically engineered plant viruses will be analyzed and utilized. The surface properties of plant viruses can be modified to a large extent and they show good crystallization properties. On the surface of recombinant viral capsids, molecules can be presented which show specific interactions with e.g. metals or metal ions, such as His-tags with Co and Ni ions or cysteins with Au and Ag. However, for technical applications up to now, no extended two-dimensional crystals can be formed on hard surfaces despite of the good crystallization properties.Preliminary tests with spherical tomato bushy stunt viruses, genetically engineered to present either positively or negatively charged amino acid chains, resulted, however, in the formation of two-dimensional crystals in considerable size. In the present project this growth will be further optimized and in consequence more complex structures will be established. In particular the link between Ni ions and histidin will be exlpoited in several ways. This comprises the binding of the virus to the substrate as well as the modification of the virus surface, e.g. through metallization mediated by histidin and other side chains. In addition, new functionalizations of the outer capsid surface will be proven and systems for the loading of the capsid with different compounds iwill be established.Our general objective is on the one hand the deeper understanding of the underlying principles in the selfassembly process of (modified) spherical viruses. On the other hand we want to explore possible applications, in particular those, in which ordered arrays of metals are of interest, e.g. in plasmonics or spintronics.