Protein architecture with atomic precision

Researchers have made a key breakthrough in designing and building geometrically defined nanostructures from proteins with unprecedented accuracy.¹ The new approach could open the way to a wide range of protein-based nanomaterials of pre-determined architecture, for applications in areas such as vaccine development and drug delivery.

The new technique relies on a twin approach of firstly identifying smaller protein building blocks that, according to computational predictions, should slot together to create a larger symmetrical structure. The second step involves modifying amino acids along the interface of where the building blocks meet to help them stick.  More...

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2012/06/protein-architecture-atomic-precision