M13 Bacteriophage-Based Bio-nano Systems for Bioapplication

M13 bacteriophage is a promising biomolecule with unique biochemical and structural traits (e.g., high aspect ratio, 2700 copies of identical coat proteins covering the phage surface) that can also be programmable, making it a versatile material for bio-nano and biomimetic applications. Although M13 bacteriophage is mostly known as a carrier in the phage display screening process, pioneers have used the phage’s properties to develop the virus into a bionanomaterial that can be used for various applications. This study reviews M13 bacteriophage-based bio-nano systems derived from the structural and biochemical properties of M13 bacteriophage for both bio-nano and material science applications. Two major approaches regarding the fabrication of the bio-nano systems are introduced: surface engineering of individual M13 bacteriophage into single bio-nano templates and self-assembly of M13 bacteriophages into bio-nano matrices. Various genetic engineering and chemical engineering methods are reported for the surface engineering of M13 bacteriophage, which enables the bionanomaterial to have a wide range of functionalities. The bio-nano and material science applications of the self-assembled bio-nano matrices are also examined in this study. These complex engineered M13 bacteriophage-based matrices are capable of guiding a new generation of bionanomaterials for bio-nano and material science applications.