USA as Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Carissa M Soto

Banahalli R Ratna

Amy S Blum

Ronald W Rendell

Ronald J Tonucci

Jeffrey R Deschamps

Jinny Lin Liu

Jake Fontana

James Peter Long

Steve Pollack

Gary J Vora

Michael A Bruckman

Kim Sapsford

Tina Brower

A genetically modified cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) protein capsid serves as a scaffold for metal nanoparticles, preferably gold nanospheres, of 15 nm to 35 nm, creating plasmonic nanoclusters. The self-assembled nanoclusters gave rise to a 10-fold surface-averaged enhancement of the local electromagnetic field. Other viral capsids or virus-like proteins may also serve as such scaffolds.

Metamaterial optical elements self-assembled on protein scaffolds

Protein scaffolds from tobacco mosaic virus coat protein modified to incorporate polyhistidine can bind to a metal or a dye while having improved self-assembly characteristics. The scaffold can take the form of tubes or disks, and can further be formed into dual plasmonic ring resonators. Such self-assembled structures provide useful optical properties.

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for detecting analytes using detectably labeled fluorescent protein scaffolds. In certain embodiments of the invention, the scaffolds are viral particles in which the capsid viral structure provides a scaffold to attach detectably labeled fluorescent dyes and capture moieties that can be utilized to determine the presence of a desired analyte in a sample using any suitable method. The protein scaffold can contain amino acids carrying reactive groups (e.g., amines and thiols) that are spatially distributed on it with large enough separation to enable the attachment of a greater number of fluorescent label molecules without quenching.

Protein scaffolds and viral particles for detecting analytes

An electrically active particle is disclosed, having a virus scaffold. Nanoparticles are bonded to the surface of the virus, and the nanoparticles are connected to each other by, molecular wires.

Virus as a scaffold for hierarchical self-assembly of functional nanoscale devices

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Alexandria, VA, United States of America

Carissa M Soto