Three Alternative Treatment Protocols for the Efficient Inactivation of Potato Virus X

Filamentous nanomaterials are flexible with a high aspect ratio, conferring unique mechanical, electromagnetic, and optical properties; promoting tissue penetration; and allowing the formation of hierarchical superstructures. The fabrication of synthetic nanofilaments with uniform properties is challenging, but this can be addressed by the use of filamentous plant viruses such as potato virus X (PVX), which are produced as monodisperse structures from a genetic template. To take advantage of PVX without risks to agriculture and the environment, it is necessary chemical and material properties. Herein, we report experiments showing that PVX can be completely inactivated by exposure to UV irradiation (0.5 J cm(-2)) or chemical treatment (1 mM beta-propiolactone or 10 mM formalin) without interfering with the chemical addressability functionalization.