Filamentous virus-based soft materials based on controlled assembly through liquid crystalline formation

Abstract

This focus review describes the utilization of M13 phage, a filamentous virus, for the development of a novel class of materials. Historically, M13 phage has been widely utilized as a scaffold to display desired peptides or proteins on the surface through genetic engineering. This biotechnology is well known as ‘phage display’ and has generally been used for constructing peptide libraries on M13 phage surfaces to screen peptides with a specific affinity for desired molecules or materials. Recently, the preparation of ordered structures composed of M13 phages based on liquid crystal formation has generated great interest as a means of utilizing the outstanding properties of phages for the development of novel soft materials. The combination of phage display technologies and liquid crystal formation can be effectively used to develop structurally regular hybrid materials composed of M13 phages and inorganic or organic materials. M13 phages can be used, for example, as polymeric materials to construct structurally regular hybrid hydrogels, hydrogel matrices for controlled release systems, selective adsorbents for rare earth elements and protein-detecting microarray systems. The excellent properties of M13 phages should further contribute to novel attractive opportunities of next-generation soft materials for science and technology. This focus review describes the utilization of M13 phage, a filamentous virus, for the development of a novel class of materials. Recently, the preparation of ordered structures composed of M13 phages based on liquid crystal formation has generated great interest as a means of utilizing the outstanding properties of phages for the development of novel soft materials. The combination of genetic engineering-based functionalization and liquid crystal formation can be effectively used to develop structurally regular hybrid materials composed of M13 phages and inorganic or organic materials. M13 phages can be used for various functional soft materials.