Biomolecular interactions with nanoparticles: Applications for COVID-19.

Nanoparticles are small particles sized 1 to 100 nm, which have a large surface to volume ratio, allowing efficient adsorption of drugs, proteins and other chemical compounds. Consequently, functionalised nanoparticles have potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications. A variety of nanoparticles have been studied, including those constructed from inorganic materials, bio-polymers, and lipids. In this review, we focus on recent work targeting the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. Understanding the interactions between coronavirus-specific proteins (such as the spike protein and its host cell receptor ACE2) with different nanoparticles paves the way to the development of new therapeutics and diagnostics that are urgently needed for the fight against COVID-19, and indeed for related future viral threats that may emerge.